Mona Keijzer officially launched ACE initiative MKB Digital Workspace

On Friday November 20 State Secretary Mona Keijzer launched the national SME workshops digitization. The State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Climate talked to SME entrepreneurs and students. During the online event, Mona Keijzer launched the SME workshops by offering them to MKB Nederland.

The majority of SME entrepreneurs are aware of the opportunities and necessity of digitization. That awareness has only gotten stronger since the start of the pandemic. However, they lack the time, knowledge and money to get this process started. This is why the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate has launched the “acceleration of the digitization of SMEs” program. This program will start SME workshops across the country, where SME entrepreneurs are encouraged to work with students on digitization. From cyber security and software development to building data models and online marketing.

Friday November 20 was the “Day of the Entrepreneur”, a great day to launch the new workshops. State Secretary Mona Keijzer spended an hour video calling with SME entrepreneurs and students from all over the country about the opportunities of digitization for entrepreneurs and the collaboration between entrepreneurs and students. Other guests were Barbara Baarsma (Rabobank) Geleyn Meijer (HvA), Leendert-Jan Visser (SME Netherlands) and Joost Reimert (MKB Digital Workspace). Mike Rijkers (MKB Digital Workspace) hosted the event. While the launch event took place, 14 workshops were kick off simultaneously.

About MKB Digital Workspace
MKB Digital Workspace is an initiative by ACE Incubator, Rabobank, Municipality of Amsterdam, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate, Province of North Holland, Techconnect, KplusV and Innovate Today in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, the ROC of Amsterdam and all other educational institutions in North Holland. Over the next three years, MKB Digital Workspace will reach 7.000 SME entrepreneurs and will pair them with 2.000 students.

• Link to livestream