The Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, María González Veracruz, has announced that the work is being "finalized" to roll out a new injection of 200 million euros intended for the 'Kit Digital' and 'Kit Consulting' programs, in an additional stage "very focused on artificial intelligence (AI)".
From Murcia, in statements to the media, González Veracruz explained that "indeed I confirm that we are finalizing the work and listening to business associations so that the next 200 million euros will reach the real business fabric of the region with the 'Kit Digital' and the 'Kit Consulting', and also very focused on artificial intelligence, with improvements in the process, in the selections, and fine-tuning much more to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises".
The person in charge of Digitalization has expanded on this information in a message on LinkedIn, where she specified that this new allocation of "200 million to give continuity to 'Kit Digital' and 'Kit Consulting'" will make it possible "to apply AI solutions adapted to each SME" and "to improve the programs and make it easier to request the grants", after opening a process of dialogue with business associations to find out first-hand what SMEs and self-employed workers currently need.
In the same vein, the Secretary of State has emphasized that this additional phase "exactly matches what they are asking us for" thanks to "active listening to the real needs of the economic and business fabric", and she has advanced that "on next 29 November, it will be decided whether it is desired to 'continue investing so that AI reaches even the humblest SME, or that only the most powerful companies use it'.
For this reason, González Veracruz has urged SMEs, self-employed workers, and digitalization agents, "not only those 31,000" who have already benefited, "to be alert and to be agile", stressing that 'Kit Digital' is an initiative in which, once you access it, "you are given it directly" and in which "there is no fee from the Region of Murcia", since the granting of the aid "depends on the first ones to request it".
To conclude, the Secretary of State has highlighted on LinkedIn that both programs "have proved to be the push that our business fabric needed", quantifying their impact in "more than 31,150 grants awarded, for almost 130 million euros" in the Region of Murcia and "almost a million grants and more than 3,000 million euros to digitalize our businesses" across Spain.