On September 12th and 13th, the Startup Moldova team, along with our colleagues from Startup City Cahul and the Embassy of Sweden, spent 2 days in Cahul, visiting the 6 beneficiaries of the Digital Impact Program’s phase 1.
Through the Digital Impact Program, Startup Moldova provides mentorship support and a total financial support budget of 7,800,000 MDL. Half of this amount was allocated for the implementation of the 6 projects in phase 1.
Most of the projects are still in the implementation process, and we wanted to get a firsthand look at how the work is progressing, what difficulties the beneficiaries are encountering, and where we could provide additional support.
Here is the progress of the 6 projects in phase 1:
🍇 At the Association of Table Grape Producers, we had the opportunity to see the digital traps, weather stations, and other installed equipment that 8 companies in the region – members of the Association – now use to monitor important field indicators from anywhere. With this support, they can schedule their workdays, harvest collection, taking into account weather indicators or those analyzing insect norms.
🚜 At Svirol Agro company, we discovered how the first digitizations of agricultural production work. Practically, all the transport units already have GPS units installed, trackers for the people who use them, and digitalized fuel meters. The initial results of the digitization process are already visible, allowing the company managers to easily administer the work of their employees, monitor both their working hours and the usage of equipment, as well as the company’s fuel consumption, all through digital means.
🗝️ We were delighted to see at the Museum of the Cahul Region that over 100+ exhibits in the museum have a printed QR code. By scanning these codes, visitors can access much more information about the admired objects. The documentation process took several weeks. There is still much work to be done in creating the digital immersive experience in the museum through digital projections, which we are eagerly awaiting as we await the appropriate equipment.
🍷 At the SVC Inter winery in Taraclia, we visited the wine cellars where the wine is stored and where a digital wine cellar is set to be arranged. The mobile application, “Wine Digital Cellar,” is currently under development. In just a few months, anyone interested will be able to order and store a specific wine from the cellar of the local small producer.
💃 At the Culture Palace in Cahul, we discussed the upcoming launch of an extracurricular course platform. Currently, the organization and digitization of information regarding each available extracurricular activity in Cahul are underway. This will allow children, parents, and adults to analyze training and course options and register on the new platform of the Culture Palace.
🌊 Our team also visited the village of Manta, where the Local Initiative Group “Lunca Prutului de Jos” is active. We were pleased to admire the thousands of photos taken for guesthouses, service providers, and artisans in the region, who will soon be accessible through the digital platform of the Local Initiative Group.
Each of the 6 projects continues to receive our support for the implementation of activities, and we are delighted to see a digitalization impact in the Cahul region that our beneficiaries are adopting and extrapolating to other areas of their work.
The Digital Impact Program is implemented by the Startup Moldova Foundation and is part of the EU4Moldova: Startup City Cahul Project, funded by the European Union and Sweden, and implemented by ATIC.
