Digital Surge, a £1 million Digital Programme for businesses across Northern Ireland (NI), has officially launched this week with registrations now open for the first in the series of workshops, beginning tomorrow, March 1.

Formerly known as The Digital Transformation Programme, Digital Surge is designed to support more than 1,000 businesses across NI to improve their digital journeys and is being led by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.

The programme is also part-funded by Invest Northern Ireland, the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth & Jobs Northern Ireland (2014-2020) programme, and all 11 councils.

The programme will be delivered by a consortium of NI businesses. Invest NI has offered £860,000 of support towards the programme, with councils contributing £216,000.

“We are really looking forward to helping small businesses across Northern Ireland, embark on their digital transformation journey.

"Businesses which recognise the role advanced transformative technology can play, at a strategic level, will certainly increase their growth potential, and we will provide the support they need to discover how to fundamentally change how they operate and deliver value," said Gillian Colan-O'Leary, consortium project lead.

In an ever changing world, digital is at the forefront of all business and with many new technologies coming online, it can be a daunting world for any business.

Technological breakthroughs in areas from artificial intelligence to robotics are now shaping a 'fourth Industrial Revolution', with the power to reshape almost every sector in every country.

The programme will assist businesses to "demystify" the various enabling digital technologies/tools and inspire "active ideation" through workshops, mentoring, master classes and network cluster events for small- and medium-sized businesses throughout NI.

Businesses completing the programme will come away with an Innovation Roadmap and Digital Acceleration Plan and will be onward routed to more intensive supports in the ‘digital innovation ecosystem’.

The Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Errol Thompson, said: “The collaborative nature of this programme is remarkable and is a NI-wide effort across all 11 councils to support local businesses which will drive an increase in productivity through digital transformation.

"Businesses will learn how to adopt existing and proven technologies to help transform their business models, improve productivity and create value for their customers.

"This programme will appeal to businesses in all sectors including manufacturing, retail, tourism, hospitality and construction.”

Fermanagh and Omagh businesses which wish to express an interest in the programme and register for the workshops should see antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk/digitalsurge.