Noorden Digitaal will shine a spotlight on digital innovation and collaboration in the Northern Netherlands in March

From 13 to 19 March 2020, the Northern Netherlands will revolve around digitization. The annual Nederland Digitaal (Digital Netherlands) conference will be held in Groningen this year. During the week surrounding the conference – under the ‘Noorden Digitaal’ (Digital North) programme – activities on digitization will be organized at various locations across Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe and will be open to the public. Chair of the Noorden Digitaal steering group, Prof. Iris Vis: ‘We will demonstrate that the Northern Netherlands is an innovative region in the area of digitization, in which we would like to involve everyone: from, by and with the North. We think that everyone has the right to a well-prepared digital future.’

The North leads the way
All sectors are affected by digitization: education, healthcare, industry, the service sector, agriculture, trade and government. In the Northern Netherlands, digitization is being deployed to find new solutions to societal challenges. And we are doing this together: knowledge institutes, entrepreneurs, Northern residents and local government are coming together to work on digitization, with a focus on opportunities for experimentation and innovation. This is how Noorden Digitaal was created, under the remit of the Northern Netherlands Economic Board.

Iris Vis explains: ‘Here in the North, there is room to experiment. In the Digital Literacy Coalition, for example, school pupils and knowledge institutes, entrepreneurs and government are working together to make Groningen the most digitally literate city and province by 2025. Another example is the Frysklab: the first official library-driven ‘fab lab’ in Europe, developed by the Friesland library service. The Frysklab creates interest in technology and stimulates digital literacy. In the Fieldlab 5Groningen project, we are working on solutions for which 5G is necessary, such as live data that give medical specialists the chance to already take a look at the patient inside the ambulance. And the biggest blockchain and AI hackathon in the world is organized here every year: the Odyssey. In this hackathon, developers, entrepreneurs and creatives work together on innovative solutions for government and the business world. In short, the North is leading the way, especially in terms of collaboration.’

DoeDigiDagen on 13 & 14 March
Examples of public activities held as part of the Noorden Digitaal programme include the ‘DoeDigiDagen’ (Go Digital Days). Five special locations in the Northern Netherlands will open their doors to display the newest trends in the area of digitization on Friday 13 March (in Emmen; for students) and Saturday 14 March 2020 (in Roden, Groningen, Leeuwarden and Delfzijl; for everyone). We are becoming more and more digital and the developments are happening fast. Just how fast can be seen at the DoeDigiDagen – days during which doing and experiencing will be central. Get to work with AI and 3D printers, learn about serious gaming, healthy ageing and becoming digitally literate, and marvel at developments from an autonomous boat to smart lampposts. To experience digitization in action, visit one or more locations on Friday 13 March between 1 and 5 p.m. or on Saturday 14 March between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Register for events
The DoeDigiDagen are not the only activities taking place as part of the regional programme in March; the Noorden Digitaal website also lists a 5G student battle, a tour of the exhibition ‘AI: More than human’ in the Groninger Forum, a TechTalks050 gathering and more.

Steering group chair, Iris Vis: ‘We invite the worlds of business, government, research and education to put their developments in the area of digitization in the spotlight during the regional programme.