Strengthening SME Digital Readiness Across Regions: Field notes from the Advanced Cooperation Mission in Santiago 

Santiago, Chile | 21–25 July 2026 

How can regions better understand the digital readiness of their SMEs—and turn that knowledge into targeted, measurable support? 

That question guided the latest IURC Latin America and the Caribbean Advanced Cooperation Mission, hosted by the Santiago Metropolitan Region as part of the Digital Transformation Community of Practice (CoP 1). Representatives from Bucharest (Romania), Bacău (Romania), Tucumán (Argentina) and Santiago (Chile) came together to exchange experiences, compare regional realities and advance a shared pilot action focused on strengthening SME digital capabilities. 

Across three days, the mission explored the institutions, partnerships and innovation actors that are helping shape Santiago’s digital transition—from public innovation hubs and AI initiatives to satellite data services—while giving participating regions the opportunity to refine their cooperation roadmap for the months ahead. 

Day 1 | Building a regional ecosystem for SME digital transformation  

The mission began at the Metropolitan HUB, where participants were introduced to one of Santiago Metropolitan Region’s flagship initiatives for entrepreneurship, innovation and business development. The opening sessions presented the region’s approach to economic development, science policy and SME support, illustrating how public institutions can play an active role in creating the conditions for digital innovation. 

Representatives from the National Center for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA) presented Hazlo con IA (Do It With AI), an initiative that brings together public institutions, academia and the private sector to help micro and small businesses adopt AI tools through practical training and accessible support. The conversation focused on how regions can lower adoption barriers and ensure digital transformation reaches businesses of all sizes. 

Working sessions allowed participants to begin analysing the Digital Readiness Survey carried out across the participating regions, identifying common strengths, gaps and priorities that will inform future pilot actions. 

The day concluded with a conversation with Polaria, a Deep Tech company supported by the Metropolitan HUB, whose experience illustrated the opportunities—and challenges—that innovative SMEs face when scaling advanced technologies. 

Day 2 | Connecting SME digitalisation with the smart city agenda 

The second day expanded the discussion beyond SMEs themselves. Participation in Smart City Expo Santiago placed the Community of Practice within a broader conversation on urban innovation, artificial intelligence and digital governance, highlighting how regional competitiveness increasingly depends on the same digital ecosystems that also drive smarter cities. 

Discussions throughout the event reinforced that digital transformation is not simply about technology adoption, but about governance, skills, collaboration and creating environments where innovation can flourish. 

Back at the Metropolitan HUB, participants continued working collectively on the Digital Readiness Survey results, comparing regional realities across Europe and Latin America while identifying concrete opportunities for cooperation. The Community of Practice discussed potential pilot actions under the IURC Competitive Fund and agreed on the next steps needed to transform the exchange into long-term collaboration. 

Day 3 | Open data, cooperation and the road ahead 

The final day introduced another key dimension of digital transformation: data. A visit to the University of Chile allowed participants to meet the Copernicus LAC team, which showcased how the European Union’s Earth observation programme makes satellite data openly available to support public decision-making, environmental management and productive sectors across Latin America. The discussions demonstrated how open geospatial data can become a valuable resource not only for governments, but also for SMEs operating in areas such as agriculture, logistics, environmental monitoring and territorial planning. 

The mission concluded with a final working session where partners consolidated the lessons gathered throughout the week, refined their shared roadmap and agreed on responsibilities for the next phase of cooperation. The visit strengthened relationships between regions that share similar challenges despite their different contexts. 

About the IURC LAC Advanced Cooperation Missions

IURC Latin America and the Caribbean, part of the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) programme, connects cities and regions from Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe to co-create sustainable, inclusive, and innovation-driven solutions. Through peer-to-peer exchange and partnerships, the programme contributes to improving citizens’ quality of life while strengthening global cooperation.

Advanced Cooperation Missions are on-site technical visits that build on the IURC programme’s collaborative and knowledge-sharing approach. They provide cities and regions with the opportunity to further develop the themes explored during the online meetings of the Communities of Practice, refine their cooperation action plans and gain first-hand experience of best practices implemented by the hosting city or region.