EDIH DIS-HUB

The European Digital Innovation Hub at NOI Tech Park, DIS-HUB, delves Artificial Intelligence to optimise processes, products and services. As part of the European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) network, EDIH in South Tyrol helps companies (i.e. SMEs) in getting to their digital edge – and become (even) more competitive. The hub services encompass expertise, orientation, test-before-invest services including access to laboratories, along with financing and funding guidance. The hub also provides training sessions and workshops for company staff.

The strength of DIS-HUB combines the experience of research and technology transfer organizations with different and complementary specializations and will therefore have a multi-sector technology focus, fully in line with the Smart Specialisation Strategy South Tyrol 2014-2020 (and 2021-2027). The specialization domains selected by the DIS-HUB are sustainable agri-food systems, sustainable buildings and energy & water systems, smart rural areas, and smart manufacturing, which are consistent with the pillars of the new S3 strategy (automation & digital, food & life science, alpine technologies, green technologies).

Therefore, DIS-HUB main objectives are:

1. to set up a European Digital Innovation Hub in the NUTS2 Region of South Tyrol (Autonomous Province of Bolzano) and network this with the European EDIH Ecosystem.
2. to implement and deliver the foreseen services for the target groups according to the Workplan and the European Guidelines and policies
   
   

EURAC Research's concrete contribution to DIS-HUB includes:

• Building Energy Analytics: Development of AI-powered predictive models for identifying and analyzing energy performance drifts in buildings, enabling proactive maintenance and optimization strategies
• Hybrid Simulation Frameworks: Integration of physics-based models with machine learning algorithms for building energy prediction and real-time optimization during operation 
• Inverse Design Solutions: Custom neural networks for material optimization, demonstrated through building component assembly configurators that generate optimal layer sequences based on performance targets
• Location Intelligence: Advanced data analytics and AI algorithms for strategic placement optimization, demonstrated through electric vehicle sharing station positioning to maximize utilization and user satisfaction 

• Edge AI Development: Creation of autonomous IoT nodes with embedded artificial intelligence for Agriculture 4.0, optimizing power consumption and enabling on-site processing without cloud dependency
• Predictive Agriculture Systems: Development of AI-driven irrigation optimization models that integrate environmental, soil, and weather forecasting data for proactive water management in orchards and smart farming applications
• Business Process Automation: AI integration strategies for service optimization, including automated decision-making systems, consumables forecasting, and historical data analysis for enhanced operational efficiency

Through these specialized competences, EURAC Research has successfully delivered AI-powered proof-of-concept solutions across multiple sectors, demonstrating the practical application of artificial intelligence in building energy services, smart farming, sustainable mobility, and industrial automation.