Proceedings of 8th European Assembly on telework (Telework2001)

223Short summaries <strong>of</strong> the other presentations in the sessionLocal dimensions <strong>of</strong> the knowledge economyJeremy Millard, Danish Technological Institute, DenmarkJeremy Millard (Danish Technological Institute, Denmark) explained how the digital, knowledgeor e-economy is dramatically changing the environment in which businesses operate and individualsdo their work. New information and communication technology (ICT) is no longer simply a toolto do existing things faster, cheaper or better. ICT is in many ways redefining the socio-economic,geographical and political landscape by posing new threats, providing new opportunities, changingrelationships and opening new ways <strong>of</strong> doing things and producing new types <strong>of</strong> goods andservices. However, the response to these changes and challenges in Europe varies tremendouslyfrom place to place, and it seems that the majority <strong>of</strong> rural and peripheral areas <strong>of</strong>ten lose out,despite the fact they now have the opportunity to connect with the rest <strong>of</strong> the world over electronicnetworks.The presentation attempted to give a synoptic view <strong>of</strong> problems and possibilities, and examinedwhat is really going on. To what extent can work become de-localised and provide newopportunities to support the social and economic development <strong>of</strong> remote and rural areas in Europe?Which regional development strategies are appropriate in linking remote and core areas, and whatpotential do eWork and flexible working have to enhance community life? Evidence was presentedto show that telework is largely an urban phenomenon employed by large organisations. So, theoverall evidence from rural and peripheral areas seems not to be encouraging and the prospectsunclear. On the other hand, the evidence we have is historical and does not necessarily predictthe future with accuracy. Similarly, there are a large number <strong>of</strong> cases which do show highlysuccessful initiatives in creating new jobs in these such areas. What is therefore needed is a clearunderstanding <strong>of</strong> the basis for success and an analysis <strong>of</strong> how and in what circumstances this can bereplicated elsewhere. Regional disadvantage in the knowledge economy is just as much a centralconcern in discussions about the so-called digital divide as are skills, gender, income and otheraspects. The conclusions <strong>of</strong> this presentation are incorporated into the overall lessons from thesession given at the end <strong>of</strong> this report.Seppo Peltola (Ministry <strong>of</strong> Interior, Finland) presented a very Finnish approach to bolstering thee-activities <strong>of</strong> local and regional areas through the establishment <strong>of</strong> local portals. Finland has beenalmost unique in developed countries in retaining local monopoly telecom companies based onlocal cooperation and ownership. Free competition was, however, also introduced in 1996 in orderto support the development <strong>of</strong> new information networks. These platforms are now being used tosupport 50 initiatives to build local information networks and services, each geared to the uniquespecific characteristics and needs found in different places. These local/regional portals typicallycover an area <strong>of</strong> up about 30 km radius based upon: