LOCREGIS II

www.locregis.net

 

 

 

 

 

FIRST REGIONAL ANALYSES 1999

 

 

Heikki Lunnas

 

 

Helsinki 15.10.1999

 

 

 

PART I; COMMON INFORMATION

 

Background

 

One of the main tasks of LOCREGIS II project is to make an inventory of local and regional information society projects in Austria, Finland and Sweden and produce appropriate regional analyses based on this information and the needs of the people working with the European regional development.

 

This document is the first regional analyse in LOCREGIS II project. The main source has been the database collected in LOCREGIS project 1996-1998 and its continuation project LOCREGIS II during the first implementation months 1999.

 

The definition of the local and regional information project is similar used in ESIS project funded by DGXIII:

 

¨         “the projects are using data processing and telecommunications technologies to support innovative methods of communication between members of society for a wide range of purposes e.g.

w        Education and training

w        healthcare and social care

w        culture

w        administration

w        industry and commerce

w        research and development etc.

¨         The projects may concern a large number of social and economic sectors and be initiated by (national), regional, public and private organisations”

 

The projects in LOCREGIS database must of course have also the nature of local and/or regional activity. This does not necessarily exclude all national projects because many of them have also transregional co-operation.

 

LOCREGIS database tries to put together logical projects. This means that the use of EU funding sources is not always following the EU regulation; neighbour regions can e.g. build up a joint logical project using administrative separate own Objective programmes or other funding elements.

 

The concept of logical project is also needed in all kind of other umbrella projects.

 

The funding information is not perfect in 50% of the projects. This includes also all the transregional projects without any exact regional input and output. In this kind projects the funding shares of the different sources as well in many cases the total costs by region have been estimated. This estimation has been done using the information received through other projects and programme documents and seems to be quite reliable.

 

LOCREGIS II will continue the inventory until the end of April 2000. The estimated regional level of inventory is presented in the next part of this document.

 

The regional information is also presented in the LOCREGIS regional profiles in Internet in the address: http://www.locregis.net.

 

 

The number of the single projects in the database was 1209, in the end of September 1999. This analyse is done from the viewpoint of the regions and EU funding sources. When summing up all the projects in tree main target countries by region and EU programme (all transregional and multifunded projects divided), the number of projects is 1640. Using the same viewpoint for the whole Europe the number of all projects by region is in the database more than 4000.

 

 

Austria

Finland

Sweden

Projects

206

830

602

Total €

68 000 000

227 000 000

280 000 000

Average size €

330 000

270 000

460 000

Private funding %

31

16

13

Local and regional funding %

44

40

44

EU funding %

18

26

25

Other funding sources %

7

18

18

 

Half of the projects are from Finland because there is already many existing inventories available in Internet and the collecting of the data is easy. The average size of the projects in Finland is rather small.

 

Main national difference in funding is the use of private money in Austria. But in Finland and Sweden the role of the local authorities is much higher than in Austria and also Nordic countries have bigger national public funding structures to complete EU supply.

 

LOCREGIS database is now used also in Finnish and Swedish national inventories.

 

The tables and maps illustrating the situation in tree target countries are in Annex.

 

Financial background of the information society projects

 

As seen in Picture 7, the regions locating on the Objective 1 and 6 areas are using more money (by inhabitant) for the local and regional information society projects. Exceptional regions are Blekinge and Gotland (2 and/or 5b), where IS has also been one of the major issues.

 

In Finland the project are smaller than in other countries and especially this difference is remarkable comparing the Finnish and Swedish Objective 6 regions;


 

Objective 6 region

Average cost €

Lappi FIN

170.000

Keski-Pohjanmaa FIN (partly)

190.000

Pohjois-Pohjanmaa FIN (partly)

220.000

Kainuu FIN

250.000

Etelä-Savo FIN

260.000

Keski-Suomi FIN (partly)

290.000

Pohjois-Karjala FIN

330.000

Västerbotten SWE

350.000

Norrbotten SWE

360.000

Värmland SWE (partly)

400.000

Jämtland SWE

520.000

Västmanland SWE (partly)

540.000

Västernorrland SWE (partly)

590.000

Gävleborg SWE (partly)

880.000

Dalarna SWE (partly)

1.000.000

 

The size of the projects varies:

 

Less than 50.000 €

212

50.000 – 100.000 €

677

100.001 – 250.000 €

367

250.001 – 500.000 €

193

500.001 – 1.000.000 €

89

More than 1.000.000 €

100

 

 

From the over 1 M Euro projects 24 are funded by the Objective 6 programme.

 

The regions, where at least 10 % of the projects are more than 1 M Euro, are (Picture 9):

 

Västra Götaland SWE

Kronoberg SWE

Värmland SWE

Kärnten AUT

Halland SWE

Kalmar SWE

Örebro SWE

Satakunta FIN

Voralberg AUT

Västmanland SWE

Västernorrland SWE

Salzburg AUT

Dalarna SWE

Gävleborg SWE

 

 

 

Almost half of all funding (250 M Euro from 577 M Euro) is coming outside the EU sources. In the database most important EU source is Objective 6 programme. This will decrease when the inventory continues but will anyway stay considerable high.

 

The total amount of European funding is 145.000.000 €, which is on the same level the local and regional authorities have used.

 

 

Content of the projects

 

As showed in the picture 3, third of the projects is education and/or training. It could be said that almost all projects are more or less with the same content.

 

Infrastructure and business development, including electronic commerce, are with equal 13-14 % shares.

 

Important for the regional development is that many regions have found their specialisation sectors like healthcare, education technology etc. Of course other part of regions is working without that kind of business products strategies.

 

Transregional co-operation

The transregional and international co-operation is described in the pictures 10 and 11. This the widest on the capital areas as well also between the regions of Objective 6 programme.

Inside the target countries

 

As illustrated in the annex (picture 12) the following strong networks are easy to recognise:

 

1.      Objective 6 regions network in Finland

2.      Objective 6 regions network in Sweden

3.      Co-operation between the most Northern regions in Finland and Sweden (Lappi, Norrbotten, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa,  Västerbotten)

4.      Co-operation between capital regions (Stockholm, Uusimaa and Wien)

5.      Regions active jointly in Baltic co-operation (Stockholm area, South Finland)

6.      West Finnish regions (West Finland Alliance RISI area)

7.      Regions in the Middle Austria (Niederösterreich, Wien, Steiermark, Kärnten)

 

One important and clear conclusion is that in average Objective 1 and 6 regions are participating more in transregional and international projects using also more other EU funding sources than Structural Funds (Picture 16).


Co-operation with other countries

 

The database shows at least following strong partnerships that go outside the target countries (picture 13):

 

1.      Nordic network is covering also the northern regions in Norway and Russia

2.      Capital regions co-operate all over the Europe

3.      Also some regions like Cataluna in Spain, Scotland in United Kingdom and Emilia-Romagna have many partners in LOCREGIS target countries, Attiki in Greece and South East in United Kingdom also with other than capital regions

 

 


PART II; REGIONAL INFORMATION

 

Blekinge SWE

 

Estimated level of inventory 75 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

49.8

18 391

2

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

47

27.7

25.5

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

380.000

115

22

 

 

IT-Blekinge, founded by the local and regional authorities is the main actor and co-ordinator of the implementation.

 

The regional RISI project has been also implemented under the same title.

 

The international visibility of IT-Blekinge has been good and this has supported the positive development. This has also helped to have a lot of contacts and asks for partnerships; thinking the small size of the region, it is using a wide palette of EU funding sources. Also the main partner regions are internationally the most active ones (Stockholm, Skåne, South East, Emilia-Romagna etc.).

 

Education, infrastructure and common information society projects have been the main sectors.

 

The cost of the projects per capita is among the highest in target countries.

 

 


Burgenland AUT

 

Estimated level of inventory 80 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

69.6

12 878

1

Objective 1 2000-2006

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

23

60.9

39.1

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

1.020.000

81

18

 

 

The main strategy in Objective 1 programme has been the use of information technology to reduce the negative effects of the border region situation and to support the co-operation between EU and CEEC.

 

In Austria the co-operation between other Länder is active. In the international co-operation the joint projects with Kainuu in Finland has been effective.

 

The main project under Objective 1 programme has been infrastructure project Backbone Burgenland. Burgenland has also been interesting partner and the use of different EU funding sources is wide.

 

Like in many other Austrian Länder also in Burgenland active development power especially on the local level is missing and these has negative influence to the local and regional content. Comparing with the Nordic regions the low level of Internet use is also easy to recognise in the providing of services.

 

The active “championship” promoter is missing.

 

For the regional development the strength is the importance in the private sector. And also the share of private funding is the highest in the database (49%).

 

The highest average cost in the target countries but mainly because of two big projects.


 

Dalarna SWE

 

Estimated level of inventory 40-50 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

10.3

22 960

Partly 2

Partly 5b

Partly 6

Partly Objective 1 2000-2006

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

25

16.0

0.0

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

1.000.000

78

41

 

The average cost of the projects is the highest in the target countries and also the share of the big projects (23 % over 1 M Euro) the second highest.

 

The level of EU funding is high. The share of the transregional projects is lowest in the database. Co-operation is mainly with the national neighbourhood regions.

 

As an exception with other Objective 6 regions in Dalarna the projects are mainly funded by different Objective programmes and the use of other funding sources is insignificant.

 

Local and regional authorities (especially County Administrative Board and County Council) are the main actors.

 

 

 

 

 


Etelä-Karjala FIN

 

Estimated level of inventory 60-70 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

19.2

16 086

Partly 2

Partly 5b

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

10

40.0

20.0

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

150.000

10

45

 

 

No projects over 1 M Euro. The average cost of the projects is low. The cost of the projects per capita is among the lowest in target countries.

 

The level of EU funding is high. The level of private funding is low.

 

The EU funding is coming from the Structural Funds. In spite of the location there is less cross border co-operation with Russia than on many other South-Finnish regions. Partner regions are mainly from neighbourhood.

 

Lappeenranta University of Technology, also operationally in charge of the regional IS-strategy, is the main actor together with the Regional Council.

 

 

 

 


Etelä-Pohjanmaa FIN

 

Estimated level of inventory 80 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

14.3

13 286

5b

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

40

25.0

12.5

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

160.000

29

40

 

The region has used the possibilities of the Objective 5b and LEADER programmes and has also been the driving force in transregional co-operation in West Finland Alliance and its RISI project.

 

Also the use of other EU-funding sources is wide.

 

Hubnet is the IS network created by the Central and Western Finnish Objective 5b regions. The co-ordinator is the Etelä-Pohjanmaa Regional Council.

 

The co-operation with SMEs has been very good example. Main actors are municipalities (especially Seinäjoki and Kauhajoki), regional council and the local affiliates of the Tampere and Helsinki universities.

 

No projects over 1 M Euro. The average cost of the projects is low. The level of EU funding is high.

 

 

 

 


Etelä-Savo FIN

 

Estimated level of inventory 80 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

9.0

12 920

6

Objective 1 2000-2006

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

29

44.8

27.6

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

260.000

43

41

 

Etelä-Savo has concentrated on the distance learning content business with good national results. This concept has provided some export potential. For the regional development the period has still been too short.

 

Good examples of the Objective 6 programme are distance learning projects Internetix and DINE-PM.

 

Main actor in distance learning and multimedia has been Otava Folk High School.

 

The region is participating in the wide co-operation of the Finnish objective 6 regions.

 

The level of EU funding is high. But together with Skåne the share of the private funding is the lowest one (4%).

 

The use of different EU-funding sources is wide.

 


Gotland SWE

 

Estimated level of inventory 70-80 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

18.4

16 718

5b

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

27

18.5

14.8

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

570 000

268

7

 

 

Very low level of EU funding and also the use of different EU-funding sources, the main tool is the Objective 5b programme. The share of the transregional projects is low. This all can be explained by the small size of the regions.

 

The cost of the projects per capita is the highest in the target countries.

 

The municipality of Gotland, which is also the regional authority, is of course the main actor. The co-operation regions are mainly on the Baltic area.

 

 

 

 

 


Gävleborg SWE

 

Estimated level of inventory 40-60 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

15.8

17 729

Partly 2

Partly 5b

Partly 6

Partly Objective 1 2000-2006

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

32

18.8

9.4

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

880 000

97

27

 

 

A quarter of the projects is more than 1 M Euro. This is the highest value among the regions.

 

The EU-funding is mainly coming from the Structural Funds.

 

The level of private funding is low. The share of the transregional projects is also low.  Main partner region is Dalarna.

 

The main actor is Objective 6 municipality Ljusdal and County Administrative Board.

 

 

 

 


Halland SWE

 

Estimated level of inventory 30-40 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

49.5

17 394

Partly 5b

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

8

37.5

37.5

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

300 000

9

4

 

Very low level of EU funding. The cost of the projects per capita is among the lowest in target countries.

 

The region has also international co-operation in R&D projects. Main actor is the regional information society co-ordinator IT-samverkan Halland.

 

 

 

 


Itä-Uusimaa                    

 

Estimated level of inventory 85 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

30.8

17 665

Partly 2

Partly 5b

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

10

70.0

40.0

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

80 000

11

43

 

 

No projects over 1 M Euro and the average cost is together with Åland the lowest in the database.

 

The level of EU funding is high. The level of transregional projects is high.

 

The region is very small. Main actor has been Adult Education Centre. The use of different EU-funding sources is wide.

 


Jämtland SWE

 

Estimated level of inventory 70 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

2.7

18 836

6

Objective 1 2000-2006

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

42

50.0

31.0

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

520 000

170

36

 

 

The cost of the projects per capita is among the highest in target countries.

 

Very wide use of different EU-funding sources and a good combination of Objective 6 programme and international projects.

 

Municipalities and the County Administrative Board are the main actors but also the women network Agendum has been very active in international IS-projects.

 

Main partners are the most northern Objective 6 regions in Finland and Sweden and North West in United Kingdom.

 

The projects developing the infrastructure and promoting electronic commerce are good examples.

 


Jönköping SWE

 

Estimated level of inventory 40-50 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

31.4

18 508

Partly 5b

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

13

46.2

23.1

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

320 000

12

5

 

 

Very low level of EU funding but many different EU-funding sources.

 

Main actor is the County Administrative Board as well Technology Centre.

 

 


 

Kainuu FIN

 

Estimated level of inventory 95 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

3.8

12 606

6

Objective 1 2000-2006

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

43

41.9

23.3

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

250 000

118

41

 

 

The level of EU funding is high. The cost of the projects per capita is among the highest in target countries. The main funding source is Objective 6 programme but also the use of other funding source is wide.

 

The main actor is the Regional Council (also in charge of the regional IS strategy) together with Kajaani Polytechnic and Kajaani Development Centre of The Oulu University. The most active municipalities are Kajaani and Paltamo.

 

The size of the region looks optimal; it has been possible to have quite large projects but also manageable co-ordination and good regional network. As a result also some business products (healthcare and social work).

 

Main partners are on the Finnish Objective 6 area. The co-operation with Burgenland in Austria is remarkable.

 

 

 


Kalmar SWE

 

Estimated level of inventory 30-50 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

21.7

17 304

Partly 5b

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

8

25.0

25.0

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

510 000

17

5

 

 

Very low level of EU funding.

 

The widest co-operation with neighbour region Blekinge.

 

Main actor is County Administrative Board.

 


Kanta-Häme

 

Estimated level of inventory 80 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

28.9

14 967

Partly 5b

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

22

59.1

27.3

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

200 000

28

35

 

 

No projects over 1 M Euro. The average cost of the projects is low.

 

Region is using wide range of EU-funding possibilities and also quite active in Interreg (even locating without border with other countries).

 

Main partners in Southern Finland and most active actor Riihimäki-Hyvinkää Chamber of Commerce. Maybe this is also the explanation of many business sector projects.

 


Keski-Pohjanmaa

 

Estimated level of inventory 90 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

13.3

13 268

Partly 2

Partly 6

Partly Objective 1 2000-2006

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

27

18.5

14.8

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

190 000

57

27

 

 

Good development especially on the Objective 6 part of the region, Kaustinen subregion. They have built a new broadband ATM-infrastructure with the cost of over 1 M Euro. Infrastructure is also the main sector. The average cost of the projects is anyway low.

 

The level of private funding is also low.

 

From the population aged 15-64 about 0.6 % is working in IT-enterprises, which is the lowest value among the Finnish regions.

 

Thinking the small size of the region it is working quite international.

 

Main actor is the Municipality of Lestijärvi because it is co-ordinating the work on the Kaustinen subregion. Other municipalities and Central Ostrobothnia Polytechnic are also active.

 

 

 

 

 


Keski-Suomi

 

Estimated level of inventory 70-80 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

13.4

15 292

Partly 2

Partly 5b

Partly 6

Partly Objective 1 2000-2006

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

60

31.7

11.7

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

290 000

59

27

 

 

As one of the main Finnish competence centre in IT the region is using widely different EU-funding possibilities, especially ESF programmes more than in average.

 

Main actor (with very positive effects on the regional development) is the Information Technology Institute in the University of Jyväskylä. The whole objective 6 area in Northern part of the region has done very good co-ordinated work. Also the Regional Council is among the main actors.

 

The specialisation sector is information society and education.

 

Keski-Suomi is part of the West Finland RISI-project.

 


Kronoberg

 

Estimated level of inventory 30-50 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

21.2

18 844

Partly 5b

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

10

20.0

0.0

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

350 000

20

6

 

 

Very low level of EU funding. No international projects in the database.

 

Main actor is University of Växjö and main partner Blekinge.

 

 


Kymenlaakso

 

Estimated level of inventory 85 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

34.3

17 608

Partly 2

Partly 5b

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

28

32.1

25.0

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

210 000

32

22

 

 

The average cost of the projects is low. The regional spearhead in information society is missing.

 

Objective 2 is the main funding source. The region has also quite many Interreg projects.

 

Main partners are in the Southern Finland. A lot of projects with private sector even the main actors are the municipalities Kouvola, Valkeala and Anjalankoski and the Regional Council.

 


Kärnten

 

Estimated level of inventory 50-60 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

59.1

16 014

Partly 5b

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

17

47.1

17.6

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

400 000

12

1

 

 

Lowest share of EU funding in the database, coming so far only from different Community Initiatives.

 

Main actor is Telematik Initiative Kärnten GmbH with 3 co-ordination projects. Co-operation is with other Austrian Länder.

 

Many projects working with the problems of disabled and elderly people.

 


Lappi

 

Estimated level of inventory 85-90 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

2.0

14 613

6

Objective 1 2000-2006

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

83

50.6

42.2

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

170 000

158

45

 

 

No projects over 1 M Euro. The average cost of the projects is low. But the cost of the projects per capita is among the highest in target countries. The region is participating in some big international projects but the regional share is quite small.

 

The level of EU funding is high because half of the projects is funded by the Objective 6 programme.

 

The region is using widely the possibilities of different EU-funding sources. Main partner regions are in neighbourhood so that the border has been no obstacle; Norrbotten in Sweden (15 joint projects), Pohjois-Pohjanmaa in Finland (15 projects), Murmansk in Russia (10 projects) and Finnmark in Norway (8 projects).

 

There is one actor over all the other organisations; Kemi-Tornio Polytechnic, which has in the database 30 project participation. Other active organisations are University of Lapland and Rovaniemi Polytechnic. The difference with the most other, and very local and regional authority centred, Objective 6 regions in Finland and Sweden is significant.

 

These organisations are located in South-Lapland. The distance from South-Lapland to the most northern part is the same as from Brussels to South-Switzerland. It is evident that the local authorities so have more co-ordinated strategy to develop Lapland together and after agreed plans “order” the projects.

 

 

 

 


Niederösterreich

 

Estimated level of inventory 50-65 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

79.7

17 146

Partly 2

Partly 5b

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

23

82.6

60.9

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

230 000

4

17

 

 

Niederösterreich has good potential to develop; the location is good and the regional authorities are actively looking for good examples and implementing different studies.

 

The location near capital area has provided also the possibility to participate a lot in the international projects (highest level in the database) funded by different EU funding sources. This may have the danger that for the regional development the projects are too separate.

 

The widest co-operation is with Vienna region. The average cost of the projects is low. The share of the transregional projects is highest in the database. Also the level of international projects is high.

 

The cost of the projects per capita is among the lowest in target countries.

 

 


Norrbotten

 

Estimated level of inventory 80-85 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

2.6

19 395

Partly 2

Partly 5b

Partly 6

Objective 1 2000-2006

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

59

47.5

39.0

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

360 000

91

33

 

 

The level of private funding is low.

 

Main actor is IT-Norrbotten. This a good example of the co-ordination work of the local and regional authorities where the expertise and project implementation is in the good hands but also the political framework in the right hands. IT-Norrbotten provides also good infrastructure.

 

Norrbotten (like the municipality of Arvidsjaur) have been among the first in Sweden in developing information society as part of the regional development strategy.

 

Other important actor in the international projects is Luleå University of Technology.

 

Norrbotten, as many other Objective 6 regions, is using widely different EU-funding possibilities. Objective 6 programme is the main funding source but not so important as in Lapland.

 

Norrbotten is part of the North-European co-operation cluster and so the main partner regions are, besides Västerbotten, in Finland, Norway and Russia.

 

Main sectors are public services including education.

 

 


Oberösterreich

 

Estimated level of inventory 60-75 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

115.0

19 164

Partly 2

Partly 5b

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

34

61.8

41.2

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

170 000

4

22

 

 

No projects over 1 M Euro. The average cost of the projects is low. Also the cost of the projects per capita is among the lowest in target countries.

 

Most active organisation is ODE Datenhighway Entwicklungs GmbH (11 projects). What is not very common in Austria, also the city of Linz has been active organisation including international co-operation. Partner regions are still mainly national.

 

The use of different EU-funding sources is wide.

 

 

 

 

 


Pirkanmaa

 

Estimated level of inventory 70-80 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

30.0

16 139

Partly 5b

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

64

42.8

21.9

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

330 000

48

19

 

 

Region has used Objective 5b tools widely to support the development on the rural areas. And also other EU-funding sources.

 

Pirkanmaa has a lot of high technology expertise, which is not necessary easy to exploit  in the regional development covering the whole region. Main actors are Tampere Technology Centre Hermia and the Regional Council. Also some municipalities (Tampere, Vammala, Ylöjärvi, Toijala) are quite active.

 

Pirkanmaa is part of the West Finland RISI-project.

 

 


Pohjois-Karjala

 

Estimated level of inventory 90-95 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

8.2

13 023

6

Objective 1 2000-2006

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

65

50.8

36.9

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

330 000

120

34

 

The cost of the projects per capita is among the highest in target countries. The region is also on the top when speaking about the wide use of different EU-funding sources. And like many other Objective 6 regions also quite international in the IS project implementation.  Beside some Finnish Objective 6 regions also Attiki from Greece is among the top partner regions.

 

NOKIS is the regional ESF funded RISI-project

 

Pohjois-Karjala has very good and human touch to the development. They have also developed own way to measure the level of information society. Top sector is training.

 

Main actor is the Regional Council, but active organisations are also North Karelia Polytechnic, University and some municipalities (like Joensuu and Lieksa).

 

 

 

 


Pohjois-Pohjanmaa

 

Estimated level of inventory 80-85 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

9.7

15 032

Partly 5b

Partly 6

Partly Objective 1 2000-2006

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

85

36.5

20.00

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

220 000

53

29

 

In the western part of the region is the Oulu subregion, which is one of the leading high technology centres in Europe. International projects are mostly implemented here.

 

In the Eastern part is Koillismaa subregion, which has made regional development oriented information society projects already 15 years. First now there are remarkable employment effects.

 

In Koillismaa the main actor has been the municipality of Kuusamo, in Oulu the university and Nokia Research Centre.

 

Outside the Koillismaa subregion Objective 6 projects (total 34) have been relative small and the average cost of the projects is low.

 

Main partner regions are Objective 6 regions in Finland and Sweden.

 

The use of different EU-funding sources is quite wide. About half of the projects are education and training.

 

 


Pohjois-Savo

 

Estimated level of inventory 75-85 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

12.9

14 115

Partly 5b

Partly 6

Objective 1 2000-2006

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

46

32.6

17.4

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

160 000

29

33

 

The average cost of the projects is low.

 

In Pohjois-Savo the situation, when only small part has been Objective 6 area, has disturbed the possibilities to plan good projects. The next programming period looks now better.

 

The most northern part of the region, those municipalities around the city of Iisalmi, has been very active; as an example Upper-Savo Development Company.

 

The co-operation is done mainly with the neighbourhood regions.

 

 

 


Päijät-Häme

 

Estimated level of inventory 80-85 %

 

Population density

GDP per capita €

Objective programmes

31.6

15 295

Partly 2

Partly 5b

 

Projects

Transregional %

International %

25

44.0

20.0

 

Average cost €

Cost per capita €

Share of EU funding %

160 000

20

33