06.03.2003 - MUTEIS1 Conference - 'ICT Clusters and City Dynamics: Does Policy Matter?'
Introduction
Thank you Peter Finnegan for inviting me here this afternoon to give the closing address at this prestigious international gathering.
As most of you probably already know the venue for this conference, Dublin Castle, has played a very important part in Irish history and was once the seat of political power in Ireland. That was a time when we based our economic development almost exclusively on our agricultural industry. Today a myriad of industries contribute to our GNP. But there is one vital aspect common to all of them - they each operate in a global and knowledge based economy.
Knowledge Society
Knowledge has always been a factor of production whether that was a knowledge of how to farm, how to build or how to manufacture. However, today, knowledge has become the predominant factor in the creation of wealth. As much as 70 to 80 percent of economic growth is now said to be due to new and better knowledge. And ultimately knowledge is the key to sustainable economic and social development for us all - from the city to the rural dweller.
Knowledge societies are built on the pervasive influence of modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Our future prosperity is critically dependant on policies that foster the continuous generation of knowledge and the pursuit of knowledge.
Economic Development & New Connections
I know that over the past 24 hours you have been exploring how ICTs can influence and drive the dynamics of growth within cities. ICTs are a key driver in the development of the modern city. However, it will not happen without clear and realistic policies and actions. One of my goals in Government is to secure and maintain a leading position for Ireland in the global information society; and, to ensure that all citizens can reap the benefits of modern technologies. The growing influence of ICTs in our daily lives is transforming the way we interact and do business.
The influence of ICTs across all areas of economic and social activity in the 21st century is increasingly seen in terms parallel to electricity in the 20th century and railroads in the 19th century. The Irish Government recognised this back in 1999 when we launched our first Action Plan to implement the Information Society in Ireland. We realised then that Information Society developments were bringing about the single most dynamic shift in the public policy environment in the history of the State. Last March, we renewed our commitment to this agenda by launching a new Action Plan entitled New Connections. This is our strategy to realise the potential of the Information Society in Ireland and for Ireland.
Already, major strides have been made in building the foundations of an inclusive and dynamic Information Society in Ireland. And this year again Ireland has been ranked at the top of the European league table for the level of sophistication we have achieved in our online public services.
eEurope
The far-reaching implications of the Information Society have been recognised not only nationally but also at European level. At the end of 1999, it became clear that Europe needed focus and a sense of urgency to catch up in the Information Society. The eEurope Initiative was then launched. Now, the EU has set itself the strategic goal for the next decade of becoming most dynamic and competitive knowledge based economy in the world.
Digital Hub
The advice from our national policy and advisory board for Enterprise, Technology and Innovation, Forfás, is that in the new economy, competitiveness depends increasingly on goods and services that embody a high knowledge content. That is why our development agencies have targeted digital media as a key growth area within the ICT sector and as an opportunity to establish Ireland in a leading global position in this emerging sector. We, in government, have already demonstrated our commitment to the use of ICT as a major driver of commercial and industrial development through the development of the Digital Hub in Dublin city. The Government has provided funding, of €130m, for the Digital Hub.
The Digital Hub refers to the area in Dublin where it is intended to cluster Irish and international digital media companies, research and development and educational initiatives. The Digital Hub idea grew out of Media Lab Europe; a third level research and development institute, established by government in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The thinking behind it being that the clustering of high tech enterprises around Media Lab Europe would optimise the impact of its activities on the commercial sector.
But we must remember that ICTs are a tool and not an end in themselves. It i s a means to delivering social or economic benefit or in other words improving the quality of peoples lives. New technologies will only grow here if we have the people who can develop, apply and manage them. Experience has shown that ICTs will only unfold their potential if they are coupled with an investment in skills of employees and with changes in how we work. This applies equally to the private and public sector.
My Government is playing a key leadership role in driving wider engagement with ICTs through our business process and how we deliver services. Our goal is to have all public services that are capable of electronic delivery available online, through a single point of contact, by 2005. This approach will ensure that users of the services have the option of communicating with us in whatever way works best for them. Whether this is telephone, contact centres or one-stop-shops, the choice is that of the user.
Dublin.ie
Our vision is an Information Society for all. One of many benefits of ICTs is their ability to connect communities, for example the Dublin community. The Governmentfunded Dublin.ie project provides a web portal for the city that enables communities to access information, develop websites and use email. This is a very important and inclusive initiative, which will do much to bridge the digital divide. Initiatives like Dublin.ie begin a process of enabling citizens create content and make the web a relevant place, serving their interests and their needs. This is very much in line with the priorities identified for the eEurope 2005 Action Plan. These include the need to promote attractive content for all European, and to pursue digital inclusiveness for all Europeans.
Conclusion
Modern technologies enable us to do things in new ways, to do them faster, more efficiently, at times that suit us, and very often with less effort. They are a driver for economic development and social cohesion. But we need government policies to ensure that the digital divide - either socially or economically - is transformed into a digital opportunity. And as Charles Darwin once identified it is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but those most responsive to change. And the pace of change in the Information Society is without precedent.
I would like to thank the MUTEIS Consortium, Dublin City Development Board, Dublin City Council, Dublin Employment Pact and the European Telecities Consortium for organizing and supporting this very worthwhile conference. Information Society issues are evolving and so will always provide us with a challenge.
Dublin Castle
1MUTEIS is an acronym for macro-economic and urban trends in Europes Information Society. It is an EU funded research project.