scenarios for a sustainable information society strategy for the mediterranean region

Scenarios for a Sustainable Information Society in the Mediterranean Region

Towards a Sustainable Information Society for the 21st Century: Strategies, Research and Policy Actions

Brussels

22 February 2000

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Scenarios for a Scenarios for a Sustainable Information Sustainable Information Society Strategy for the Society Strategy for the Mediterranean RegionMediterranean Region

Jesse MarshAtelier Studio Associato

[email protected]



Brussels

22 February 2000

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GlobalisationGlobalisation• Three main centres of power:

USAEuropean UnionSouth-East Asia

• Sources of competitiveness in the global economy:Systemic technological capacityAccess to a large, integrated, affluent marketDifferential between production costs and market pricesPolitical capacity to steer growth strategies

• The new international division of labor :Producers of high value, based on informational labor;Producers of high volume, based on lower-cost labor;Producers of raw materials, based on natural endowments;Redundant producers, reduced to devalued labor…

From Manuel Castells, “The Rise of the Network Society”



Brussels

22 February 2000

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TechnologyTechnology

Definitions from The American Heritage Dictionary, Microsoft Bookshelf

1. a. The application of science, especially to industrial or commercial objectives.B. The scientific method and material used to achieve a commercial or industrial objective.

2. Anthropology. The body of knowledge available to a civilization that is of use in fashioning implements, practicing manual arts and skills, and extracting or collecting materials.

A humourous invention for a fork-pen that allows employees to work during lunch.

A material object produced for an industrial objective (shipping wine), transformed by social practice.



Brussels

22 February 2000

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Creativity of Creativity of milieumilieuDimensions

CriteriaEconomic Social Environ-

mentalCultural

Critical mass

Diversity

Accessibility

Safety and security

Identity anddistinctivenessInnovativeness

Linkage and synergy

Competitiveness

OrganisationalCapacityFrom Charles Landry/Comedia, “Helsinki: Towards a Creative City, Seizing the Opportunity and Maximising Potential”



Brussels

22 February 2000

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SustainabilitySustainability

EQUITY

ECOLOGY

FUTURITY

PARTICIPATION



Brussels

22 February 2000

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Cultures: CentrumCultures: Centrum

CENTRUM



Brussels

22 February 2000

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Cultures: PeripheriaCultures: Peripheria

CENTRUM

PERIPHERIA



Brussels

22 February 2000

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Cultures: MediterraneaCultures: Mediterranea

CENTRUM

PERIPHERIA

MEDITERRANEA



Brussels

22 February 2000

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CreativitiesCreativitiesCentrum Peripheria Mediterranea

Heritage Industrial ArtiCultural AgriCommer-cial

Culture Conformity Diversity Interculturality

Networks Capital-based Socialnetworks

Continuouslynegotiated

Markets Mass markets Niche markets Bartermarkets

Technology Advanced-transfer

Adaptated-autonomous

Ad-hocconstructed

Target Largeorganisations

NetworkedSMEs

Non-profits,NGOs

Policy Industrial Cohesion SocialInnovation



Brussels

22 February 2000

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An example: tourismAn example: tourism• What are people buying from other people?

In relation to sustainable well-being, in increasing order of local added value and not considering getting there...

Nice pictures of the natives

“Redundant producers, reduced to devalued labour”

A week on the beach

“Producers of raw materials, based on natural endowments”

Cheap carpets, ceramics, etc.

“Producers of high volume, based on lower-cost labour”

New knowledge about other cultures

“Producers of high value, based on informational labour”



Brussels

22 February 2000

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Knowledge EconomiesKnowledge EconomiesKNOWLEDGEPRODUCTION

KNOWLEDGE“MINING”

CENTRUM PERIPHERIA MEDITERRANEA

Metaphor: patents per year of T. A. Edison Metaphor: mining gold in the Mekong river

Raw Material:Capital Resources

Raw Material:Cultural Resources

Transforming “embedded knowledge” into global niche

market products

Creating “new knowledge” for global mass market

products



Brussels

22 February 2000

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Policy directionsPolicy directions• The promotion of open local networks which can

interlink different types of actors“Political capacity to steer growth strategies”

• Emphasize cultural added value rather than lower cost of labour

“Differential between production costs and market prices”

• Integration of electronic commerce and international networks with local realities

“Access to a large, integrated, affluent market”

• Diffusion of media and communicational competence for bottom-up empowerment

“Systemic technological capacity”



Brussels

22 February 2000

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Enabling trendsEnabling trends• INFORMATION COMMUNICATION

• PRODUCT PROCESS

• SECTORIAL INTEGRATED

• HOMOGENEITY MOLTEPLICITY

• LINEAR CYCLICAL

• COORDINATION ANIMATION

• EVOLUTION RUPTURE