Preparing the Moldovan population to successfully master the benefits of the digital economy is of great importance for our republic today. This is also due to the fact that Moldova is a candidate country for accession to the European Union. As part of its support to the enlargement of the EU and its neighbors, the European Commission's JRC is carrying out smart specialization activities to identify their competitive advantages, opportunities and needs. Enhanced innovation strategies based on the smart specialization approach have the potential to drive technological renewal and broader innovation, providing the basis for creating unique competitive advantages for localities in the EU enlargement regions and neighboring countries. In order to develop awareness-raising activities, training events and mapping of the economic, scientific and innovation potential already existing in the target regions of the Republic of Moldova, this article summarizes the best practices of the European Higher and Specialized Education Area. In order to design educational programs, it is necessary to discuss with representatives of business, academia and public authorities the potential competitive advantages of rural communities and small towns in the development regions. The Education Framework for Innovation for Urban and Rural Resilience can bring together regional universities and innovation centers in the EU and candidate countries to expand entrepreneurial ecosystems and help students, entrepreneurs and civil servants to find solutions to specific urban and rural problems. Within the framework of accelerating the digital transformation of the development regions of the Republic of Moldova, examples of educational and awareness-raising activities are the Digital Innovation Factory based on the EIT model and the EIT Digital Entrepreneurial Academy. The first model of the EIT will support pan-European teams of entrepreneurs in the launch or further development of digital technology projects and products. The second model is EIT Digital, which consists of three schools: a master's program, a professional school and a summer school, which together form the EIT Digital Entrepreneurial Academy. In order to participate in these initiatives, it is necessary to have an appropriate innovative educational infrastructure in the regions and groups of localities of the Republic of Moldova, which implies the realization of innovative educational activities. This infrastructure and human resources are usually provided by regional universities accredited by the European Association of Universities. Such innovative support, embedded in the European ecosystem, can be provided by the IT4BA Innovation Centre at the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova (AESM) with the adaptation of activities planned jointly with the JRC EU Commission. AESM already has an innovative educational ecosystem that brings together 8 resident companies, teachers, researchers and ICT students. Together with university innovation centers, Moldovan business innovation cluster initiatives will be able to integrate into pan-European teams of education, research and business organizations in the focus of EIT Digital. Consequently, having an organization with an innovation infrastructure and human resources (experts) creates unique innovation opportunities based on the potential of the AESM educational ecosystem.