Digital Transformation Center
ITP`s one-stop-shop for digital ecosystem development – a consortium joining forces to provide synergistic, holistic
offerings to boost digital transformation.
ITP`s one-stop-shop for digital ecosystem development – a consortium joining forces to provide synergistic, holistic
offerings to boost digital transformation.
ITP’s Digital Transformation Center is a one-stop-shop for digital ecosystem development – a consortium joining forces to boost digital transformation in Kosovo, as a prerequisite for social and economic development. The establishment of the Center was initiated and is further coordinated by the GIZ, with funding from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and European Union through the co-financed Action #Digital4Business, which being implemented in the framework of the Center.
Its concrete portfolio of offerings originates from its Members and the support of its Partners and is based on promoting and interconnecting Science and Education, Technology for Business and Digital Entrepreneurship as well as Ecosystem Development.
The ITP’s Digital Transformation Center offers a wide portfolio of services which are categorized within 4 pillars:
ICT related learning, sharing and creation of knwoledge, including:
Support for traditional (non-ICT) businesses to become more competitive by digitalising their acitivities, including:
365-degree support system for tech-entrepreneurs: from early ideation over scaling to internalization, including:
Still to-be-developed:
Support to find and explore opportunities, networks and mutual benefits, including:
The ITP’s Digital Transformation Center is a consortium of members and partners which are on the forefront of digitalisation in Kosovo, brought together with the aim of developing a thriving digital ecosystem in and beyond the Innovation and Training Park (ITP) Prizren.
To this end, the Center is building a one-stop-shop for digital ecosystem development and to provide a synergistic and holistic portfolio of offerings to boost digital transformation as a prerequisite for economic and societal development.
The consortium consisting of stakeholders from academia, civil society, public and private side share the same vision and believe that joining forces will benefit all: members, partners, individual clients, and the overall society.
The portfolio of offerings is based on the interconnecting its main pillars: Science and Education, Technology for Business and Digital Entrepreneurship as well as Ecosystem Development. Its main targets and beneficiaries are:
The Digital Transformation Center will be a registered Digital Innovation Hub, which enables it to apply for specific European Union funds aimed at responding to challenges posed by the digitalisation.
The establishment of the center was initiated and is supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH as part of the global programme Digital Transformation, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, BMZ since August 2021.
It gained additional support in March 2022 with the action #Digital4Business, jointly co-financed by The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union. This component aims at supporting the further development of Kosovo businesses, especially Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), and increase their resilience and agility through the process of digitalisation and digital transformation. It is thereby especially contributing to two of the main pillars of the Center: Science and Education and Technology for Business.
The ITP`s Digital Transformation Center consists of a Coordinator, Members (associated entities with physical presence in the ITP) and Partners (associated entities outside the ITP).
The role of the body is to ensure the consistency of the offerings and ecosystem development measures, as well to select and bring the Consortium members and partners together. It oversees day-to-day management of the consortium.
Currently, the GIZ projects have taken the responsibility in coordinating the consortium, namely the GIZ project to establish the Digital Transformation Center as well as its Digital4Business component.
Main parts of this task will gradually be transferred to the ITP Association – a not-for-profit association in charge of management of the Innovation and Training Park in Prizren, based on a suitable mandate from the owner(s) of the Park properties.
All members and partners hold individual agreements with the ITP Association as well as – for those contributing to the “Technology for Business” Pillar – a joined consortium agreement specifying the roles, contribution and modes of cooperation.
Members of the consortium act as crucial part of the Digital Transformation Center and share its vision. They promote some of the activities as being part of the offerings of the Digital Transformation Center brand.
Home to a growing number of companies and organizations,
the ITP Prizren represents a unique environment for developing
a digital ecosystem
The Partners will complement, support and promote the Center’s vision and its offerings outside the ITP
365-degree support system for tech-entrepreneurs: from early ideation, over scaling to internationalization. Including:
As part of the flagship initiative Idea-to-Scale, promising start-up business ideas are selected and are being supported throughout their different lifecycle stages (from the initial business idea to the scale-up) by providing a full range of services to them, including setting up of the right environment, including Co-Working Spaces, appropriate training programs and office spaces ideally suited for tech-start-ups and software developers. This program is being implemented in partnership with Center’s member, Makerspace. The Program is built upon elements of business incubation and pre-/acceleration programs adapted to the needs of the local ecosystem.
The ITP Prizren represents a unique business opportunity not only for the local companies, but to the foreign ones wishing to expand their operations in the region and beyond. Therefore, support is given to the companies opening their business or branches in the Park through different offerings from various aspects, starting from the physical infrastructure in ITP up to linkages with professional services, investors and clients.
To this end, the Center counts on the services of ITP’s recent tenant, the Gold Ventures Investment (GVI), an international company which in partnership with the UBT College will be in the forefront of support of international businesses expanding business in the ITP and consequently supporting the Center’s mission of developing a thriving digital ecosystem in the Park.
Likewise, the Center’s member, ProCredit Bank Kosovo, commits to offer special offerings to ITP tenants, including in-park banking services, “access to finance” advise and loans and to support with relation to “green transition”.
Still to-be-developed portfolio:
Is focused on supporting promising and already scaled startups accelerate their business. Through an intensive program of assistance, which will include training, networking and funding opportunities, selected businesses will be supported to increase their chances of success not only in the local markets but also beyond.
The GoGlobal Service offers an exit point for Kosovar businesses to start their export-oriented operations and sales.
Student Incubation
Providing these programs would not be possible without our Digital Transformation Mentors who share their knowledge and experience with the entrepreneurs and help them on their way.
Become a one-stop shop for regional SMEs so that they can easily access the technical, human, and financial resources needed for their digital transformation – this is the common goal set by of a subset of the Center`s members and partners who agreed to enter into a formal consortium agreement.
This goal has links to offerings within the other pillars but with the clear goal of supporting traditional (non-ICT) businesses to become more competitive by digitalizing their activities.
In the Technology for Business pillar, leaders of especially small and medium sized companies will find access to:
Digitalisation of businesses service supports local SMEs to digitalise (their processes, business models etc.) by adopting digital strategies and digital implementation tools. Part of the Consrorum members offer help for digitalization
As part of this service, advice and access to digital transformation expertise and testing, as well as experimentation facilities are provided, so that potential beneficiaries can make better decisions for investments that will help them develop better their new products and services.
The services are mostly implemented by the Consortium members and partners, with one of the flagship initiatives being the Idea-to-Scale program implemented by the Center’s member, Makerspace. Likewise, KREN provides numerous opportunities for companies to test their products with KREN’s 3D printers and scanners.
The applied Science Support Service will provide Industry-oriented applied R&D projects with potential for commercialization, funding opportunities, and potentially shared lab capacities. Currently, the Digital4Business component, which is implemented in the framework of the Digital Transformation Center,
has launched a funding scheme aimed fostering applied research partnerships between public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) from Kosovo.
If you are interested into the whole package – from testing over strategizing to financing and performing the implementation and getting your staff knowledgeable – then reach out to: **ITP information center** for more information.
The center`s portfolio on ICT related learning and knowledge creation.
Learning, sharing and expanding knowledge is the basis of a society as well as an economy. This is especially true for the fast-developing digital economy and its ecosystem. The Digital Transformation Center seeks to provide a wide range of offerings to support these processes.
In learning, this translates to building up an inclusive set of educational measures: from beginner courses in coding or efficient usage of office software to re- or up-skill unemployed over intensive, advanced courses on application of deep-tech towards digital entrepreneurship or market development for business leaders.
The pillar of Science & Education focuses on knowledge-sharing within the ICT sector in the form of:
The list of trainings of our members and partners already available and how to access them can be found under:
Support for expanding knowledge in scientific research and development spaces and opportunities.
Funding opportunities for joint applied research projects (public universities with businesses) through the Digital4Business component
If you are looking for support on expanding knowledge by turning theory into innovative business ideas, check out the offerings under the center`s “Digital Entrepreneurship” pillar.
Next to promoting the individual pillars, a key goal of the Center is to integrate them into a thriving digital ecosystem.
To this end, the Center works towards establishing of joint structures, partnerships, and networks as a prerequisite for a robust digital ecosystem, by aligning and bringing closer the political partners, tech companies, academia, and civil society – with each of them having a role to play and contribution to make.
The Pillar supports anyone interested in exploring such opportunities and pursuing mutual benefits that are in line with the core mission of the ITP to become a focal point for innovation in the region.
Currently, service offerings as part of this pillar include:
From access to preferential banking services to upcoming support for access to international funds for Research and Development, this offering focuses on providing platforms for establishing joint structures and partnership leading to strengthening the digital ecosystem in and beyond the ITP Park.
An important step with regards to further advance this offering was made with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with one of the biggest banks in Kosovo, the Procredit Bank. The MoU provides a broad scale of cooperation between the parties and underlines their partnership in supporting the innovation and digital transformation of Kosovo’s Small and Medium Enterprises by seeking opportunities to co-organize or sponsor events in the ITP with
relation to innovation, digitalization and entrepreneurship.
Regular networking and matchmaking events are organized to help you find your future client, employee, employer and business or research partner.
In addition, regular ICT festivals are also organized, which provide a good platform to bring closer students of Computer Sciences and Math faculties with businesses and NGOs operating in the ICT and other related fields closer. The ICT Gateway, which was organized for the first time in May 2022and gathered around 200 students and professors in the ITP, seeks to become an important initiative in this regard.
