ICT & Regional Development – Experiences from Switzerland

ICT & Regional Development – Experiences from Switzerland The eSilk & eAmber Roads Innovative Regions Think Tank Meeting - Bled, June 4, 2007 Hans-Dieter Zimmermann Swiss Institute for Information Research, University of Applied Sciences - HTW Chur

Agenda
The past:
The Electronic Mall Bodensee – Experiences
Current developments: Innovative Regions - Initiative
Regional eTourism Platform
Conclusions

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The Electronic Mall Bodensee (EMB) – Experiences
Bottom Up development of an electronic marketplace
… understood as an open agora
… with a strong regional focus
… covering parts three countries (Austria, Germany, and Switzerland)
... by regional initiatives.
 First electronic
marketplace in Europe
with a strong regional focus
First Online June 1995

EMB - the Pioneer
Start of project: January 1995
Online: June 1995
Initiated by
Regional politics
University of St. Gallen, Switzerland
Supported by
Federal and local governments in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland
Business Development Agencies
Businesses
Universities
Idea of an Open Agora : Platform for businesses, citizens and households, government, non-profit organizations
Supported by the EU ( Interreg II )
Developed in cooperation with research, politics, and industry

EMB - Impact
Emergence of a new media – friendly environment
Emergence of new media companies as University Spin Offs (e.g., Namics, Crealogix)
Settlement of new media companies through regional economic development agency
eGoverment projects initiated by the regional government
Foundation of the Institute for Media and Communications Management at the University of St. Gallen, supported by Bertelsmann (1998)
 EMB as a driving force of the Internet development within the region

Innovative Regions a research program at the Swiss Institute for Entrepreneurship SIFE, University of Applied Sciences - HTW Chur

Innovative Regions: Focus on Canton Grisons (Graubünden) www.sife.ch
Research & Consulting
Analysis of regional innovation systems
Development of innovation policies for regional economies
Development of application-oriented tools
Development of implementation strategies
Innovation development,
Enabling knowledge transfer,
Strengthening entrepreneurial forces,
Implementing sustainable business strategies in the region,
Establishment of regionally modern enterprise knowledge management.
ICT as a means for enforcement of activities and dissemination of knowledge and innovations in rural economies

Knowledge Regions
The research initiative Innovative Regions analyzes regional innovation systems and develops tools for adding value to the region.
Focus on
Analysis of regional innovation systems
Development of innovation policies for the regional economies
Strengthening entrepreneurial forces,
Implementing sustainable business strategies in the region.
Development application-oriented tools to regionally establish modern enterprise knowledge management
Support of regional organizations in their knowledge and technology transfer and in starting innovative projects

Knowledge Regions
Knowledge and technology transfer of the HTW Chur aims at enhancing the innovative capacity of rural economies to access research and technological development
Research & consulting activities focus on topics such as
efficient use of agricultural, cultural and natural potentials in rural economies
location and distribution of knowledge between stakeholders within regions
 project Knowledge Map
analysis of the development of regional innovation systems
further development of regional innovation systems
impact of ICT integration on enforcement of activities and dissemination of innovations in rural economies
 EU project proposal

Knowledge Regions
We offer services and support to regions and respective organizations:
Analysis of business landscape, local conditions, and value added in the regions
Consultancy for financial grants
Composition of a comprehensive situation analysis report
Concepts for improved internal and external positioning.

eTourism Platform in the Canton Grisons a initiative at the Swiss Institute for Information Research SII, University of Applied Sciences - HTW Chur

Starting Position
Decrease of lodging nights worldwide
Even worse situation in the canton Grisons
 Tourism in the Canton Grisons cannot compete internationally due to
Missing products in line with the market
Strong federal structure ( > 90 tourism organizations in the canton)
Low and strongly subdivided marketing budgets
Missing penetration of the online market

The Strategy
Political action has been taken comprising the following main steps
Fundamental reform of tourism structures in the canton: establishment of 5 main destination management organizations
Creation of market- and sales oriented structures
Concentration of marketing budgets
Start of actions to use synergy effect in tourism by cooperation between the tourism organizations
Launch of five projects:
eTourismplatform Grisons
Guidance- and monitoring system
Branding
Quality offensive
Financing of tourism marketing

eTourism Platform: Strategy Concept
Launching of an integrated eTourism platform
Cooperation between all the big destinations and major players in the canton Grisons
Provision of an architecture allowing smaller destinations to implement innovative applications via ASP
Becoming international good practice
18 single projects have been identified
Joint project development between SII and major destinations

Summary of Examples

Conclusions
Regional initiative requires broad support of main players: Government, businesses, research, …
ICT as ONE means …
supporting the defined strategy goals.

ICT & Regional Development – Experiences from Switzerland

by Hans-Dieter Zimmermann on Mar 08, 2010

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ICT & Regional Development – Experiences from Switzerland — Presentation Transcript