Digital innovation hubs as a tool for integrating science and agribusiness in the European Union

Issue № 6, 2026, article № 14, pages 131-141

Section: ABROAD

Language: Russian

Original language title: ЦИФРОВЫЕ ИННОВАЦИОННЫЕ ХАБЫ КАК МЕХАНИЗМ ИНТЕГРАЦИИ НАУКИ И АГРОБИЗНЕСА В ЕС

Keywords: DIGITAL INNOVATION HUBS, DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION, SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES, AGRI-FOOD SECTOR, EUROPEAN UNION, TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER, SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL SUPPORT, CROSS-SECTORAL INTEGRATION, INTEGRATION SYSTEM

Abstract: The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the European model of digital innovation hubs as a key tool of digitalization policy, designed to bridge the technological gap and support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It examines in detail the evolution of this model: from the conceptual foundations of the Digital Single Market Strategy to its institutionalization as a core element of the "Digital Europe" programme (2021–2027) and the formation of a standardized network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH). The multi-level architecture of hub interaction is explored, including internal, regional, cross-border, and European levels, which allows for combining the flexibility of local operations with the fulfilment of overarching strategic objectives. Based on a literature review and a series of detailed sectoral case studies (viticulture in Slovenia, the dairy sector in Portugal, a comprehensive agri-tech hub in Andalusia), the practical role of digital hubs in bridging the gap between technology development and implementation is assessed, particularly within the agri-food sector. Special attention is paid to identified systemic imbalances: despite the strategic importance of the agro-industrial complex for the EU, it accounts for only about 1.7% of all hub service beneficiaries. The article systematizes the key barriers limiting the digitalization of agriculture (low digital maturity of SMEs, infrastructure and personnel shortages, seasonality) and describes the adaptive approaches that hubs employ to overcome them. In conclusion, the potential and conditions for adapting this flexible platform-based model to address regional development and technological modernization challenges in other national contexts are substantiated, taking into account the need for deep customization to the specifics of local agricultural systems.

Authors: Sandu Ivan Stepanovich, Nechaev Vasilii Ivanovich, KHarebava Anna Revazovna, Guseva Anna Aleksandrovna