RGU supports small and medium sized enterprises with digital skills

Working with partners in Northern Ireland, Ireland and Iceland, the University is supporting organisations to harness heritage and folklore to promote themselves; demonstrating how they can use immersive technology such as augmented and virtual reality. The project is also helping SMEs enhance their ability to exploit digital marketing and data analytics. 

The project, ‘Capitalising on Digital Innovations for Heritage and Capacity’ (CADI SHAC) is funded by the Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme and runs until next summer. CADI SHAC is being led by RGU Orkney and involves researchers from the School of Creative and Cultural Business at the University.

Professor David Gray, Project Lead said: "CADI SHAC is a cluster project, which builds on the work carried out across four Northern Periphery and Arctic projects: Story Tagging, which RGU also leads, Digi2Market, CINE and STRATUS. It is a really exciting project that is enhancing the digital skills of small and medium sized enterprises across the Highlands and Islands." 

Project Manager, Pamela Scadding, based at RGU Orkney,  said; "COVID has emphasised the need for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and other organisations to embrace digital innovation to create a unique presence in an increasingly congested online space. Harnessing heritage and folklore sensitively can help them do this, as can using immersive technology.”

Pamela added; “Through CADI SHAC, we are also aiming to  widen SMEs access to training materials in digital marketing and analytics training, which will help them to enhance their online reach.”

RGU is working in partnership with the University of Ulster (Northern Ireland), Údarás na Gaeltachta (Ireland), and, the Gunnarsstofnun Cultural Centre (Iceland).