During the regional roadshow, visitors were able to learn about the latest updates on the Digital Renewal Operational Program Plus at four locations: Debrecen, Pécs, Miskolc, and Szeged. There was also discussion about the role of financial instruments and the possibilities for accelerating the digital transition of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.
The upcoming calls for proposals for the Digital Renewal Operational Program Plus, co-financed by the European Union, caused a series of events that provided direct support to businesses to improve the competitiveness of the SME sector. The goal of this support is to compensate for the underinvestment in digitalization and initiate innovative activities that surpass their current capabilities. Small enterprises can obtain small, non-repayable grants in a simplified manner, as well as apply for standalone and combined loans in specific target areas.
At the roadshow stops, the audience could get acquainted with various topics. The opening presentations focused on the four priorities and areas of the Digital Renewal Operational Program Plus: supporting the digital research, development, and innovation activities of SMEs, the digitalization of businesses, developments related to energy management and smart electricity grids, and digital competencies. They also demonstrated how the developments contribute to improving Hungary’s digital readiness. The so-called horizontal operational program aims to respond to newly emerging global, technological, security, and sustainability challenges with a comprehensive approach, and it connects all relevant policies, thus aligning with the era of digital transformation and the growing role of the data economy.
Some Digital Renewal Operational Program Plus projects are also related to the implementation of the Digital Citizenship Program, (DÁP) which aims to enable citizens to handle almost all administrative matters online by 2026—primarily on portable devices such as smartphones—through a digital wallet solution, to use the technical term. A comprehensive presentation outlined the fundamental objectives of the DÁP and showcased the currently available services, as well as the future development directions. The roadshow also presented the DROP Plus constructs that were introduced in the fall of 2024 and those that are yet to be announced. At the event, attendees also heard presentations about the objectives of the ongoing DROP Plus highlighted calls for proposals, the rules for successful project implementation, and the activities of the Hungarian Innovation Association.
