The digital transformation of medical research and healthcare has great potential for the state of Lower Saxony. In everyday life, for example, it can help maintain a high quality of life across all age phases in rural areas. Hospitals, nursing homes and outpatient care services are also among the major companies in the state that can remain attractive, high-performance employers thanks to innovation impulses. The same applies to the agricultural and food sector, with the digital transformation of agricultural machinery, cultivation and processing operations contributing to more sustainable farming. To promote the innovative power of such regional "hidden champions" for Europe, a network of so-called "European Digital Innovation Hubs" is being created - innovation centers that support SMEs as well as the public sector in the digital transformation.

As European Digital Innovation Hub for the leading industries of agriculture, food and healthcare, CITAH has set itself the goal of driving forward the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises in Lower Saxony. In doing so, the project builds on the successful work of the Center for Digital Innovation in Lower Saxony (ZDIN), founded by the state of Lower Saxony in 2019, and the Lower Saxony innovation network SmartHybrid. By linking the two important Lower Saxony business sectors for the first time, the initiators expect valuable synergies for both industries - and learning effects for the broad SME sector. CITAH will offer services in four areas:

• Continuing education on technological competencies, especially in the areas of artificial intelligence, interoperability and cybersecurity,
• Innovation labs at the Oldenburg and Osnabrück sites for prototypical "test-before-invest" applications,
• Advice on financing digitization activities,
• Networking of the agricultural and food industries and the healthcare sector with companies from the information technology sector to form strategic alliances and ecosystems.