IT-BLEKIT-Blekinge – Development PROJECT TOTAL EU POPULATION REGION COUNTRY ELIGIBILITY ACRONYM BUDGET FUNDING (%) COVERED IT-Blekinge Blekinge Sweden ECU 500,000 50 Objective 2 160,000 PROJECT OVERVIEW & KEY OBJECTIVES Steering Committee The projects’ main objective is to produce an Infor- • Association of IT-Blekinge; mation Society strategy with an overall action plan • University of Karlskrona/Ronneby; which is supported by society as a whole and to create the necessary conditions for carrying out full- • University of Luleå; scale demonstrations. The strategy is based on six • Blekinge County Council; subprograms which will shape various aspects of Information Technology (IT) use within the region. • Municipal Authority of Olofström; The results of these subprograms will be co-ordi- • Municipal Authority of Lyckeby; nated as part of the framework of the overall strat- egy for Objective 2 activities. • Sydsvenska Handelskammaren. Establishing full-scale demonstration projects will The “full-scale ICT laboratory” approach has pro- make it possible to study IT issues on a large scale duced new partnerships with commercial interests. and to find ways of raising the skill level of enter- This distinctive image offers significant potential for The aim isprises, that organisations andthe citizens. The aim is that further partnerships with national and international the concept ‘full-scale laboratory’ will be realised in participants. During the project the following part- concept ‘full-scaleway that is an example to other European regions. nerships were formed with commercial interests: the project BIT-Houses (SUN Microsystems,Telia); the The measures used to achieve the objectives con- project Electronic commerce for SME (Postnet); the laboratorsisty’ of the will development andbe application of IT in a project ISES (Sydkraft); the project Technical Net- wide range of activities, represented by the follow- work (Telecom Finland) realiseding subpr ogramesin : way The regional IT fair/exhibition BIT96 has been an 1. IT, Research Development and Technology and important point in partnership building. BIT96 was that is an Regionalexample Development; a success with 7% of inhabitants participating. Last to other 2.EurIT and Infrastropeanucture; year’s fair/exhibition BIT97 enjoyed the same good result. These two events have been the most impor- 3. IT and Rural Development; tant initiative in showing the general public the 4. IT andr SMEsegions; region’s ICT developments and for developing co- operative activities among the key actors as well as 5. IT and Public Health other organisations and individuals. 6. IT and Society (including the supplementary pro- grammes: School education, Libraries, Culture, PILOT PROJECTS The Small Town of the Future – Sölvesborg 600, A large number of projects, ranging from feasibility Democracy and Social Services). studies to implementation projects, have been REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP launched/completed in the framework of RISI project. Feasibility studies: A mapping of the region’s ICT- A partnership of the region’s main parties was infrastructure and a specification of requirements; formed in 1996 to work on regional ICT issues as Sölvesborg – small town of the future; BIT-Houses part of formulation of the Objective 2 Single Pro- – a new platform for accessibility; IT-education for gramming Document. This partnership established everybody; Distance education; Social distance the work programme for IT-Blekinge and the non- learning; Educational model for the work related profit Association of IT-Blekinge was then founded handicapped; IT and disability; IT for the active by the key actors in the region as a common plat- retired in SPF; IT from a gender perspective; form for stimulating regional Information and Com- Telemedicine; IT and culture; The virtual Blekinge munication Technology (ICT) development in accor- museum; Rural development – 14 analyses; Univer- dance with the work programme. sity Research results on the net. 52 programme for Information INGETechnology in Blekinge Implementation projects: BIT-Net-data- and tele- Other projects considered as best practice during com infrastructure; ISES – 9 subprojects on data the RISI period are: (i) BRUK – the library ICT access communication using the main power net; public platform full scale project; (ii) electronic commerce service via IT-Sölvesborg; the Blekinge-PC; BIT- for SMEs pilot project; (iii) unbroken health care Houses – 10 new rural establishments; education for chain project; (iv) BIT96 and BIT97 fair/exhibition; SMEs; networks for entrepreneurs in SMEs; elec- (v) ISES (data communication on the low voltage tronic commerce for SME´s; IT training for librarians; network) pilot project; (vi) BIT-net (backbone net- A joint library computer network; BRUK – the work) full-scale project. The best practice projects libraries role in the education and knowledge based are available on a 6 minutes long VHS or QuickTime society; unbroken Health Care Chain. video from March 98. Information project/activities: BIT96, BIT97 – Fair/ INSTITUTIONAL IMPACT exhibition for the general public; People’s IT-day; WWW-presentation; 3 Newsletters – RISI and BIT- The RISI project umbrella and the resulting projects House; national seminar for “telebild” users; IT in the has certainly meant a great deal for ICT develop- service of culture; Stockholm IT-Week – International ment in the region, specifically to the general pub- fair/exhibition; exchange visit with 5 RISI regions; lic due to the BIT fair/exhibitions, the BIT-Houses local fair/exhibition in Svängsta; visit from the and the BRUK projects. The IT-Blekinge project has Swedish Ministry for Transport and Communication received a substantial amount of structural fund and the Swedish IT Commission; regional networks moneyThe for ICT development RISI during thepr period.oject – TOP MANAGER’S FORUM; the labour market of the future – County Labour Board; visit from Euro- umbrella and the pean Commission and RISI peer review partners Analysis: A study of the public’s IT usage and atti- resulting projects tudes; SWOT-analysis of 6 subprograms. has certainly meant RESULTS AND EXAMPLES OF GOOD PRACTICE a great deal The BIT-Houses project is the most successful of the projects started during the RISI project period. The aim for ICT development of the BIT-Houses is to improve access to informa- tion services for the general public and small business in the region in towns and villages outside the main population cen- tres of the region. The 10 BIT-Houses offer free access to INTERNET based information and services and are accessible to all citizens. These community access centres also provide thematic awareness raising activities and give coaching/training to users. The BIT-Houses are a continuous test platform for ¨ CONTACT the development of new IT based services for indi- Roland Karlsson, viduals, public services and business. They also Project manager promote many different home-based and/or neigh- IT-Blekinge bourhood employment opportunities and education Box 535 possibilities. Special consideration is given to the S-37123 KARLSKRONA involvement in and an understanding of technical Tel: +46 (0)45587160 progress from a ‘bottom-up’ perspective. Work is GSM: +46 (0)708871603 also being carried out on the increased opportuni- Fax: +46 (0)45587548 ties for the disabled and other less advantaged E-mail: [email protected] groups in society to use these facilities. WWW: http://www.itblekinge.se/ 53.