Meet the IURC LAC regions working on digital transformation

Across Europe and Latin America, regions face a common challenge: digital technologies — and particularly AI — are evolving rapidly, while many small and medium enterprises still lack the skills, resources or strategic guidance needed to adopt them effectively.

Through the IURC Latin America and the Caribbean programme, Bucharest-Ilfov, Bacău County, Santiago Metropolitan Region and Tucumán collaborate within the Community of Practice on Digital Transformation to help bridge this gap and strengthen SME competitiveness, resilience and digital capabilities.

At the heart of their cooperation is the development and application of a common SME digital readiness assessment framework. The participating regions are working together to assess digital maturity, identify and cluster businesses according to their needs and sectors, and use this evidence to design more targeted capacity-building actions — from digital skills development to the adoption of AI and other emerging technologies.

By comparing data and experiences across different regional and economic contexts, the Community of Practice is building a shared understanding of the barriers SMEs face and exploring tools and approaches that can be adapted and scaled across Europe and Latin America.

The goal is to move from digital transformation as a broad ambition to practical, evidence-based support that helps SMEs identify where they are today — and what they need to move forward.

Discover the regions shaping the future of digital transformation cooperation.

Bucharest | Romania

🏙️ 2.3 m inhabitants | 🗺️ 1.811,00km² of territory

Bucharest–Ilfov is Romania’s core region, concentrating governance capacity, innovation and economic activity.

Santiago de Chile | Chile

🏙️ 7.4 m inhabitants | 🗺️ 15.403,00km² of territory

The Santiago Metropolitan Region is Chile’s most populated and economically dynamic territory, leading industrial modernisation, digital transformation and innovation ecosystems while integrating sustainability and mobility policies.

Tucumán | Argentina

🏙️ 1.7 m inhabitants | 🗺️ 22.524,00km² of territory

Tucumán is a transition territory undergoing industrial modernisation, focused on upgrading traditional industries, agro-industry and manufacturing. Policies support productivity, innovation capacity and workforce skills development.

Bacǎu County | Romania

🏙️ 583 k inhabitants | 🗺️ 6.606,00km² of territory

Bacǎu County is a territory addressing economic restructuring and territorial cohesion, focusing on sustainable development, social inclusion and resilience.

About IURC LAC

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.

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