The University College Cork is home of a programme of supports and services supporting SMEs and public organisations to adopt AI and cutting-edge technologies. Entering its second phase, the European Digital Innovation Hub has become an accelerator of companies understanding and embracing a range of services including AI and data analytics, cybersecurity, IoT systems and networks and ICT services.
The programme got underway in early September, one of Ireland’s leading Innovations hubs that secured the funding (€23m) for the 2026 – 2029 period.
ENTIRE 2.0 will drive AI adoption and digital transformation among Irish SMEs and PMOs, enhancing AI literacy, practical applications and ethnical uses of AI within an evolving regulatory landscape particularly the EU AI Act.
The first phase of this consortium provisioned support for 250+ organisations, across 33 sectors and provide services valued at 5.3 million.
Continuing to join up services with other consortiums, namely CeADAR Ireland, FactoryXChange 2.0 and Data2Sustain, they will connect Irish organisations with opportunities through the wider European network of more than 250 EDIHs.
43% of Irish SMEs predict AI overhauling business transformation within two years, according to reports, and ENTIRE 2.0 is poised to contribute to national targets for 75% of businesses to adopt AI, cloud computing and big data technologies.
Dr Paul Galvin, Director, ENTIRE EDIH explains:
Digital transformation is no longer just a great opportunity, but a necessity for SMEs and public sector organisations. The ENTIRE 2.0 European Digital Innovation Hub, working closely with relevant national and international stakeholders, is specifically tasked with supporting SMEs and PSOs to address these challenges, and to progress their digital transformation to ensure efficiency and resilience, and where possible, to leverage digital tools to enable new products or processes.
In 2024, 16.5% of Irish SMEs used AI technologies, while 23.4% planned to invest in AI between 2025 and 2027.
