How European Digital Innovation Hubs Help Irish SMEs Adopt AI | LeanBPI

This article features several family businesses we worked with through the LEO Lean for Digital and Digital for Business Consultancy programmes.

European Digital Innovation Hubs — colloquially known as “Eddies” — are part of an EU programme to accelerate digital transformation. Co-funded by Enterprise Ireland, they’re free to use and open to businesses of all kinds. For many small business owners, EDIHs are the next step after working with their Local Enterprise Office’s Digital for Business programme.

This article features two businesses we worked with as LEO digital advisers who went on to engage with CeADAR, one of Ireland’s four EDIHs, to explore AI solutions.

Profix Stephen Hartnett · Cork

Stephen Hartnett’s building maintenance business is working with CeADAR on an AI project to speed up billing. Currently, Profix technicians make rough notes that office staff have to sort manually — calculating hours and preparing bills. CeADAR’s team is developing an AI solution to automate the first four steps of the six-step process, with staff only stepping in for final checks.

A key factor in the project’s success is that Profix already had an IT person in-house — but Stephen is clear that a lack of tech knowledge shouldn’t put anyone off engaging with an EDIH.

“Speaking as someone who has to get staff to set up a Zoom call for me, my advice is that you shouldn’t be embarrassed by what you don’t know. What you need to be is confident that you do know your staff and your industry.”

— Stephen Hartnett, Profix

Profix also featured in Going digital helps Irish enterprises to clean up (Sunday Times, July 2022)

and Boring chores are just the job for workplace bots (Sunday Times, Dec 2023)

Spirit Clothing

Peter Dolan · Longford

Peter Dolan wanted to cut the 20+ hours a week it takes to source stock photographs for his shop’s website. He worked with CeADAR to explore whether AI could scrape and match product images automatically. While copyright protections ultimately made the approach unviable, the EDIH saved him both time and money by establishing that quickly — before he invested in building a solution that wouldn’t work.

“The guys at CeADAR went through the business comprehensively and the methods and steps we use. They understood exactly what I wanted. It was just not viable but it was really worthwhile to have them tell me that.”

— Peter Dolan, Spirit Clothing

Expert comment

“The people that are going to benefit most from the Eddies are those that are already on the digital journey and as a result have an interest in pushing the envelope.” — John O’Shanahan, LeanBPI

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