Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Crowd in Motion – AI is a European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) that supports companies and public organizations in digitalization, innovation, and the application of Artificial Intelligence. Its thematic focus lies in the areas of tourism, sports, leisure, well-being, and the public sector.

A European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) is an innovation center funded through the EU’s Digital Europe Programme. Around 200 such hubs exist across Europe, supporting organizations in their digital transformation. Three hubs are based in Austria, each with its own thematic focus.

For an overview of all EDIHs: EDIH Catalogue of the European Commission

Crowd in Motion – AI is a consortium of ten Austrian research and technology organizations, universities, innovation accelerators, crowd platform providers, and digital fabrication labs. Together, the partners provide their expertise, infrastructure, as well as consulting and innovation services:

• Salzburg Research Forschungsgesellschaft m.b.H.
• 1000×1000 Crowdbusiness GmbH
• Innovation Salzburg GmbH
• FABLAB.Tirol – Verein zur Förderung von Innovation durch digitale Transformation
• Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften St. Pölten GmbH
• Lakeside Labs GmbH
• Standortagentur Tirol GmbH
• Privatuniversität Schloss Seeburg GmbH
• Data Intelligence Offensive
• Tech Meets Legal GmbH

The services are aimed at companies with up to 3,000 employees and organizations in the public sector. These include in particular:

• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), small mid-caps, and start-ups
• Public organizations, municipalities, institutions, and associations

The thematic focus lies on the sectors tourism, sports, leisure, well-being, the public sector, and their suppliers. We are happy to discuss your individual situation in a non-binding initial consultation.

No, Crowd in Motion – AI is part of the European EDIH network and operates across borders. The focus is on Austria, but feel free to contact us to clarify whether we are the right partner for you or whether another national hub may be better suited.

The services are intended for organizations interested in innovation, digitalization, or AI applications. Traditional IT support, general software development without an innovation focus, or purely operational IT services are not part of the EDIH’s core focus.

The support includes four main areas:

• Advanced Digital Skills and Trainings
• Open Innovation, Crowdsourcing & Networking
• Test before Invest
• Support to find Investments

The partner organizations’ specific services include AI and innovation training, prototyping and proof of concepts, data and technology consulting, support for digital business models, crowdsourcing and open innovation, network and community formats, crowdfunding, as well as support with funding and financing. All services are tailored individually to your needs.

This area includes training courses, workshops, and continuing education formats on digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence — ranging from basic training to hands-on application workshops. The services are aimed at teams and individuals who want to specifically build or expand their digital know-how, regardless of their previous knowledge.

Discover our offers in this area.

This area enables organizations to open up innovation processes and actively integrate external knowledge, ideas, or solutions. Through crowdsourcing campaigns, events, and networking formats, connections are established with technology providers, academia, and innovative companies.

Discover our offers in this area.

New technologies or AI solutions can be tested in a real or simulated environment before larger investments are made. We provide testing infrastructure, pilot environments, and expert knowledge — allowing opportunities and risks to be assessed more effectively and investment decisions to be made on a solid basis.

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The EDIH supports organizations in identifying suitable funding programs and financing sources. In addition, we design crowdfunding campaigns, connect organizations with investors, and assist in preparing funding applications.

Discover our offers in this area.

No, organizations that are still exploring or evaluating potential opportunities can also receive support. Many projects start with an open question. Together, we identify meaningful possibilities and next steps.

No, the services listed on the website are intended as an overview. During the initial consultation, we jointly assess what your organization needs and find the most suitable starting point.

Yes, Crowd in Motion – AI supports organizations in implementing AI technologies, from training and knowledge transfer to the development of concrete use cases, prototypes, and implementation. In addition, we offer services related to AI compliance and regulatory frameworks such as the EU AI Act.

Yes, many services are specifically aimed at companies and organizations that are just beginning their digital transformation journey. Prior knowledge is not required — the key factor is the willingness to try something new.

That is exactly what our orientation and consulting services are designed for. In a structured initial consultation, we jointly identify first potentials, possible use cases, and meaningful next steps – aligned with your goals, resources, and your organization’s current level of maturity.

Getting started is simple: Contact us via our contact form or by email at info@crowd-in-motion.eu. We arrange a non-binding initial consultation to understand your situation and assess which services make sense for you. During this process, we also clarify whether your organization qualifies for free support and which partner organization can best support you.

After the initial consultation, we conduct the European Commission’s Digital Maturity Assessment (DMA) — a structured questionnaire that evaluates your organization’s level of digital maturity. Based on the results, we develop a tailored project and document the key aspects in an order form: the problem statement, planned services, and organizational framework conditions (e.g. de minimis declaration). Following a short internal review process (approx. 2 weeks), you receive confirmation of funding and the project can begin.

Depending on the requirements, the spectrum ranges from individual workshops and crowdsourcing campaigns to prototype development. Completed projects may be published as success stories upon agreement in order to inspire other organizations.

The Digital Maturity Assessment (DMA) is a questionnaire developed by the European Union to measure an organization’s level of digitalization. It includes questions on topics such as automation and AI usage, organizational readiness for digital transformation, and data management.

The DMA is used to document the initial status before receiving EDIH support and to tailor services optimally to your needs. To measure progress, the assessment is repeated twice: up to three months after the service and again 18 to 24 months later. We provide you with the link to the online survey and remind you in due time about the follow-up surveys.

That depends on the scope. Individual consulting sessions or trainings may take a few hours to several days. Pilot projects within “Test before Invest” as well as crowdsourcing or crowdfunding projects typically last several months.

The services of Crowd in Motion – AI are 100% funded and therefore free of charge for companies with up to 3,000 employees and for public organizations under the de minimis regulations.

The funding comes equally from national financing by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism and from the European Commission’s Digital Europe Programme. The national funding is administered by the FFG.

Support through the EDIH is possible without application risks and without complex funding or accounting procedures. As part of the onboarding before the project starts and afterwards, a few formal documentation steps are required. However, these are very manageable, and we go through them together with you. After successful onboarding, the project can start immediately.

The de minimis regulation is an EU state aid regulation that defines how much public funding a company may receive within a certain period without triggering a formal EU state aid procedure. The total amount of all de minimis funding may not exceed EUR 300,000 within the last three years.

We are happy to clarify during the initial consultation whether your organization is affected by the de minimis regulation and guide you through the related onboarding steps.

Further information can also be found on the FFG website: https://www.ffg.at/recht-finanzen/rechtliches_service_de-minimis-beihilfen

No, before the project starts, all included services and framework conditions are discussed transparently and documented in writing. The scope and duration of the collaboration are agreed upon individually and specified in the order form.

The Crowd in Motion – AI team regularly organizes workshops, talks, community events, and networking formats related to digitalization and AI. Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on LinkedIn, and visit our events page to stay updated.

The EDIH Crowd in Motion has been active since January 2023 and, during the first funding period (01/2023–12/2025), has already supported around 800 organizations and trained approximately 3,000 participants through its training programs.

Under Success Stories, you can continuously find current projects, practical examples, and success stories from various industries.

Under News & Resources, you can find updates from the hub, deliverables, and learning resources. Materials from webinars, trend briefs, or e-learning content are also provided there. If you have questions or would like more content related to our services, feel free to contact us at info@crowd-in-motion.eu.

Via the contact form on the website or by email at info@crowd-in-motion.eu. The team usually responds within a few working days. Together, we assess whether our EDIH can support you and which partners have the required expertise.