1 dg regio open days, 9 october 2008 fostering transformative use of icts in european regions...

1DG Regio OPEN DAYS , 9 October 2008

Fostering Fostering Transformative Use of ICTs Transformative Use of ICTs in European Regionsin European Regions

Karsten Gareis, empiricaKarsten Gareis, empirica

OPEN DAYS, Brussels, 9 October 2008OPEN DAYS, Brussels, 9 October 2008


What did we wantto know?


What we know

• Not differences in ICT investment alone explain success and failure in the knowledge-based economy & society!

• Differences in the effectiveness with which ICT is used to transform traditional ways of doing things are equally important.

• If ICT investments are to support regional development, a range of “complementary” changes in organisational structures/procedures and in modes of governance are needed

• Technical innovation + organisation innovation + innovation in governance

• Regions need to develop a culture of innovation ( Regional Innovation Culture)


What we wanted to know

• How can we make sense of transformative use of ICT?

• How can a region foster transformative use of ICT by strengthening its Regional Innovation Culture?


What we did


Case studies


Making sense oftransformative use of ICT


What is “transformative use”?

Regional Development

Transformative Use

WP2

Regional Innovation Culture


Transformative Use

WP2


WP2


WP1WP1

Mea

ning

sB

ehav

iour

sO

utco

mes

TransformativeUse of ICTs




WP1WP1

Mea

ning

s


WP2


WP2


WP2O

utco

mes


Transformationalpotentialof ICTs

Transformationalneeds of the region

(Lisbon Agenda,regional policy goals)

Transformative Use Transformative Use TransformativeUse of ICTs


2nd phase: Transform via ICT

Exploiting the trans-formational potential of ICTsnetwork creation, enabling learning & innovation, participation & empowerment

1st phase: Adopt ICT

Exploiting the efficienypotential of ICTsautomation, information storage, data processing, etc.

Individuals

Firms

Public sector

ICT d i f f u s i o n p r o c e s s


S T E P 1 S T E P 2


Better products & servicesBigger geographical marketsBetter customer serviceHigher productivityMore control over processes & labouretc.

Cost savings in service provisionLabour savingsTime savingsWider variety of servicesMore satisfied „customers“More control over processes & labour, etc.

New products & servicesReorganisation of supply chainsDecentralisationWorker & customer participationHigh-involvement innovationHigher competitiveness, etc.

New services for better addresssing needsReorganisation of information flowsDecentralisationOnline political participationMore engaged citizensMore responsive government, etc.

More social participation social capitalMore civic and political participationEmpowerment as customerEmpowerment as patientMore participation at workBetter social inclusion, etc.

Expl

oitin

g th

e tr

ansf

orm

atio

nal p

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Ts:

net

wor

k cr

eatio

n, e

nabl

ing

lear

ning

&

inno

vatio

n, p

artic

ipat

ion

& e

mpo

wer

men

t

Time savings in dealing with governmentTime savings in information searchCost savings in shoppingEasier communication with friends & familyHigher quality products & servicesMore efficient learning, etc.

Expl

oitin

g th

e ef

ficie

ny p

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tial o

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Ts:

aut

omat

ion,

info

rmat

ion

stor

age,

dat

a pr

oces

sing

1st phase: Adopt ICT 2nd phase: Transform through ICT

Individuals

Firms

Public sector

ICT d i f f u s i o n p r o c e s s



Fosteringtransformative use of ICT


The process oftransformative change

• Multi-agency– More than one ‘centre of calculation’– Limited central control

• Multi-level– Led by substantive organisational and cultural change as well as

technical change– Change at the level of tasks, processes, practices and

participation (doing different things, in a different order, in a different way with different people/organisations)

• Multi-domain– Bridging different professional domains and knowledge bases– Distributed knowledge model (no one knows it all)


MNC

SME

Stategov

RegionalGovt

School

Parent

Learner

The process oftransformative change



• Culture as categories and classifications• Culture as habits and routines• Culture as institutions• Culture = “how we do thing around here”• It’s about how you (individually and collectively) make

sense of the world and your role in it• Culture is both something you have and something you

do• Both a constraint and an enabler


Exploring a region’s innovation culture: The clues

• Bridging and linking social networks– Linking resources, ideas and expertise– Notion of “social capital”

• Leadership– In particular political leadership– Also: followership

• Narrative and vision– Especially where “hard” evidence is missing

• Institutional learning– For example learning “by doing” (incl. learning from failure) – Openness to experience from outside

• Regional boundedness– Regional identity– Match of administrative with cultural boundaries


Regional Boundedness

Leader/followerDynamics

CollectiveLearning

BridgingNetworks

Narrative & Vision

RegionalInnovation

Culture

Fora, Events,Cross-Domain Teams

EvaluationObservatoriesStudiesVisitsCo-production

Leadership styleReputation

PositionTrack Record

DocumentsStories

PicturesAccounts

Exploring a region’s innovation culture: The clues


• Bridging and linking social networks– Challenge: Can be exclusionary– Challenge: Accountability problems

• Leadership– Challenge: Lack of institutional leadership, – Challenge: Public sector often (too?) dominant

• Narrative and vision– Challenge: Various forms of vision “fatigue”

• Institutional learning– Challenge: Lessons not recorded/shared– Challenge: Expensive if done well

• Regional boundedness– Challenge: Uncertainty about the right form/amount

Regional Innovation Culturein practice


What regionsneed to do


How to develop a favourable Regional Innovation Culture?

• Innovation Culture is what you have but also what you do– Do not take things for granted– Get busy!

• Explore it and discuss it – Learn to understand the region’s innovation culture– Use the five clues suggested by TRANSFORM– Debate these issues among stakeholders

• Permit it– Let it happen and give it space– Allow unforeseen developments

• Fund it – “Soft” infrastructure tends to be underfunded

• Be patient– Development of innovation takes time


More information at: www.transform-eu.org

E-mail contact: [email protected]

empirica Gesellschaft für Kommunikations- und Technologieforschung mbHOxfordstr. 2D-53111 BonnTel.: (+49) 2 28 - 9 85 30-0Fax: (+49) 2 28 - 9 85 30 -12

or contact:

Thank you!

mailto:[email protected]