Information society
Regional Initiative Project
ONE Observatory Network to Enhance ICT structural funds absorption Access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructures and related services is a prerequisite for better exploiting the innovative potentials of regions, including regions that may be disadvantaged or rural areas. However, public authorities often find it challenging to tailor ICT interventions to specific regional needs, and thus the absorption rate of ICT funds remains rather low. The ONE project aims to improve regional capacity for planning investments in ICT by setting up a network of regional ICT ‘observatories’ in Poland, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, the UK, France and Cyprus. These observatories will help partner regions to improve the framework conditions for innovation by documenting the ICT penetration process, making data available to public administrations and innovation stakeholders, thereby helping the evaluation of ICT initiatives. Project partners also address the framework conditions for the generation of knowledge and the development of new ICT products and services. This requires taking into consideration the different framework factors, be they institutional, organisational, technical, or relational. Thanks to the work of ICT observatories, ONE will enable decisionmakers to make informed decisions about ICT investment based on ex-ante and ex-post analyses of their territories. Study visits and thematic workshops allow ONE partners to exchange experience and know-how. In-depth analysis and transfer of expertise is further ensured through staff exchange. ONE enables partners to develop guidelines on how to set up and exploit ICT observatories, thereby helping to optimise regional ICT investment planning across Europe’s regions.
Lead partner Piedmont Region (IT) Contact person Gabriella Serratrice gabriella.serratrice@ regione.piemonte.it +39 0 114 321 238 www.oneproject.eu
(F)
(F)
(F)
(F)
Duration 01/2012 – 06/2014
(P)
(P)
(E)
Istanbul
Total budget €2,134,284.99 ERDF contribution €1,662,227.74
40
Partnership • Piedmont Region (IT) • European Regional Information Society Association / eris@ (BE) • Manchester Digital Development Agency, (UK) • Public Innovation Agency for ICT and Media (DE) • Lodz Region (PL) • La fonderie (FR) • Office of the Commissioner for Electronic Communications and Postal Regulation (CY) • Insiel S.p.A. (IT) • European Projects and Management Agency (CZ) • Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (PL) • CSI-Piemonte (IT)