Digital skills for SMEs in construction and manufacturing; contribution to WE-IT / ITVZH

How digitally skilled are SMEs in construction and manufacturing? THUAS research groups and WE-IT explore this through lab tests, case studies and tools to develop practical training solutions.

Centre of Expertise Mission Zero

Digitale vaardigheden voor mkb in bouw en maakindustrie

As part of the WE-IT / IT Network South Holland (ITVZH) project, the research groups Future Urban Systems, Smart Sustainable Manufacturing, and Data Science are jointly investigating the digital maturity of SMEs in the construction and manufacturing sectors. The aim is to identify which digital skills are needed and how these can best be acquired. The research is practice-oriented and based on real-world cases from companies in South Holland.

Reason

Mapping out the future need for IT and digital skills in SMEs requires/assumes a certain familiarity of the SME with:

  • Future work processes
  • Technology to support those processes effectively
  • Gap between both current IT/digital skills and the future required skills.

This is a problem as not every SME will already know what future work processes will look like, which technologies can support these, let alone where existing skills have gaps from what is required. By using demonstrations and lab testing with SMEs, gaps in their digital capabilities can be established, and an in depth understanding of useful future technologies and skills can be reached for specific SMEs.

Objective

As follows from the reason section above, the objective of the research is to answer the question: “How can demonstrators & lab testing be used to assess IT needs and capabilities within manufacturing SMEs and what training needs arise from this?”

To answer this question, investigations into SME partners as test cases is required using surveys and interviews. These are aimed to highlight current digital needs, that can then be used to carry out testing using digital tools, either within a lab setting, or as demonstrations at the companies’ facilities. This testing is then recorded, and transferable skill gaps are identified that can be generalized. From this recommended training materials or courses can be developed.

Research approach

Each research group within the project has freedom in its specific research approach, reflecting the different circumstances of the SMEs that correspond to their domains. Broadly, each research group must find suitable SMEs, investigate the current digital maturity of these, and perform testing using different digital technologies as lenses to analyze their skills and capabilities.  

Final Output / Intended Results

  • A validated quick scan to assess the digital maturity of SMEs
  • Practice-based learning interventions based on collected data
  • A roundtable and follow-up workshops with regional SMEs
  • Use of the renewed Experience Centre and of the RE/manufacturing Lab for co-creation and demonstrations
  • Evidence-based recommendations for aligning education and digital support for SMEs
  • Facilitation in collaboration with companies and WE-IT of training
  • A variety of SME test cases with specific digital needs and skill gaps identified
  • Digital tools/demonstrators/testing set ups that can be used to do testing of digital capabilities in SMEs
  • Identified digital skill gaps within SMEs that are opportunities for future training materials/courses

 Project Management

  • Rizal Sebastian (Professor of Future Urban Systems)
  • Jenny Coenen (Professor of Smart Sustainable Manufacturing)

 Involved Researchers

  • Lampros Stergioulas (Professor of Data Science)
  • Hani Al-Ers (Former researcher, Data Science)
  • Noelle Choong (Researcher Future Urban Systems and Data Science)
  • Danielle Strydom (Researcher Future Urban Systems)
  • Lucas Mastenbroek (Researcher Future Urban Systems)
  • Antoine Dunand (Researcher Smart Sustainable Manufacturing)
  • Mirjam Zijderveld (Researcher Smart Sustainable Manufacturing)

Project Start and End Date

Start: September 2024

End: July 2026

Involved Degree Programs, Faculties and/or Minors

  • Research Group Future Urban Systems
  • Research Group Smart Sustainable Manufacturing
  • Research Group Data Science
  • Centre of Expertise Digital Operations & Finance
  • Centre of Expertise Mission Zero
  • Faculty of Technology, Innovation & Society
  • Faculty of Information Technology & Design

Funding

Province of South Holland (via WE-IT / ITVZH and the National Growth Fund)

Partners

The Province of South Holland is forming a steering committee with representatives from:

  • SME Network (Breed MKB)
  • WE-IT
  • Policy officers for digitalisation, circular construction, and circular manufacturing
  • Regional sector organizations (SMEs) in construction and manufacturing