eEurope y Extremadura: analysis of the integration of Extremadura in the Information Society

1. eEurope y Extremadura:analysis of the integration of Extremadura in the Information Society ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

2. Introduction • The European Council of Lisbon (March, 2000 • Objective: for Europe to become the most competitive and dynamic economy in the world . • Means: exploiting the opportunities of the new economy and in particular of the Internet • Action Plan: eEurope ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

3. Introduction • The Information Society RevolutionPossiblitiy to reach a privilege position, independently of the starting point. • Extremadura is facing an exceptional opportunity: building a Extremadura In the Net. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

4. Introduction • “Actors” in the Public Administration of Extremadura: The Regional Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (Information Society Directorate General and Telecommunications and Networks Directorate General). • Main Pillars for a Extremadura in the Net: Extremadura Intranet, www.juntaex.es, Infodex, Vivernet, Education Technology Network, New Knowledge Centres. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

5. Aim of this paper • Analysis of the development of eEurope recommendations in Extremadura ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

6. eEurope • Action Plan:“eEurope 2002: an Information Society for All” • Key objectives: a cheaper, faster, secure Internet; investing in people and skills; stimulate the use of the Internet. • There are several actions, including its actors and dates, for each objective. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

7. 1.- eEurope: a cheaper, faster, secure Internet. • Cheaper and faster Internet access. • Faster Internet for researchers and students. • Secure Networks and smart cards. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

8. 1A.- eEurope: Cheaper and faster Internet access • Objective:promoting the use of infrastructures that guarantee faster communications and the advance towards the liberalisation of the telecommunication sector, reaching lower prices by means of the free competence. • Danger: liberalisation measures can result in unbalances in less developed areas where private investments alone cannot be profitable. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

9. 1A.- Extremadura: Cheaper and faster Internet Access. • The Regional Government through the Telecommunication and Networks Directorate-General has approved the creation of an INTRANET that will provide the region with appropriate infrastructures. • The Intranet is constructed as a collection of virtual networks that will interconnect all the administrative centres, schools, health centres, doctors' surgeries and hospitals, etc. It will interconnect about 1.800 points in Extremadura and will be at the disposal of every citizen. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

10. 1B.- eEurope: Faster Internet for researchers and students. • tries to create a very high speed trans-European network for electronic scientific communications liking research institutions and universities, as well as scientific libraries, scientific centres and progressively, schools. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

11. 1B.- Extremadura: Faster Internet for researchers and students • As it was mentioned above, one of the objectives of Extremadura Intranet is to connect schools and research centres. This paves the way to achieve the objective proposed by the European Commission. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

12. 1C.- eEurope: Secure Networks and smart cards. • It is considered that consumer confidence is a key factor in the development of electronic commerce, that is why, once the market defines the security level adequate to the users’ needs, it is proposed to undertake focused action in improving availability of solutions for Internet security, increasing security of access to electronic services by encouraging the use of smart cards and a better co-ordination to fight cybercrime. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

13. 1C.- Extremadura: Secure Networks and smart cards • Vivernet (Business Centres in the New Age, a project of the Regional ministry of Education, Science and Technology) is carrying out actions in the ambit of Secure Internet and E-commerce in Extremadura, collaborating with enterprises and star-ups whose objective is to commercialise all kind of products in the Internet and the development of secure systems and systems to protect data. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

14. 2.- eEurope: Investing in people and skills. • European Youth into the Digital Age. • Working in the knowledge-based economy. • Participation for all in the knowledge-based economy. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

15. 2A.- eEurope: European Youth into the Digital Age. • The main worry is that every citizen be equipped with the skills needed to live and work in the new information society, fact that affects directly to the educational system. • It is necessary to ensure all schools have access to the Internet and multimedia resources, and ensure all teachers needed are skilled in the use of the Information Society tools ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

16. 2A.- Extremadura: Youth into the Digital Age • Education Technology Network: • Training courses directed to teachers. • Aulared Project. • A Portal for parents, teachers and children (dirigidos por Infodex) • Infodex (Regional Strategy for the Information Society): • It ellaborates European educational projects. • An Observatory SI (Best Practices on the Information Society) • Awareness Campaings for the youth. • New Knowledge Centres. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

17. 2B.- eEurope: Working in the knowledge based economy. • Offering training opportunities tailored to target groups and those in employment who are at risk of seeing their skills overtaken by rapid change, specially in the field of the iformation and communication technologies. • These measures answer to the growing difference between qualified staff and needs, in special in the field of technologies and information, where every day there are more free posts. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

18. 2B.- Extremadura: Working in the knowledge based economy. • Infodex: is working in the evaluation of the business sector in relation to ICT. This evaluation will be followed by a training plan directed to businessmen and workers (in collaboration with the main trade unions in the region). • Vivernet: Vivernet project is a centre that generates enterprises in the ambit of new technologies and business relationships and works with entrepeneurs who want to carry out innovative projects within the IT sector. It also develops training courses. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

19. 2C.- eEurope: Participation for all in the knowledge based economy. • It is concerned with making a good use of the possibilities of new technologies for the disabled. Any advance of the Information Society to avoid the “info-exclusion” is a special worry of the Commission. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

20. 2C.- Extremadura: Participation for all in the knowledge based economy. • Vivernet: developed a course on the Internet held in Cáceres on September 4th - 29th, 2000 directed to deaf people belonging to an Association (Asociación Cultural de Sordos de Cáceres) in order to open new employment possibilities and to develop entrepreneurial abilities in those people, overcoming the physical barriers by means of the usage of ICT. Vivernet helps to those disabled people to make their business dreams real. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

21. 3.- eEurope: Stimulate the use of the Internet. • Accelerating e-commerce • Government on line: electronic access to public services. • Health on line. • European digital content for global networks. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

22. 3A.- eEurope: Stimulate the use of the Internet. • Adopting all pending legislation on electronic commerce by the end of the year 2000, in order to promote consumer confidence in e-commerce. • The private sector, the Member States and the Commission are urged to collaborate with the promotion of e-commerce. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

23. 3A.- Extremadura: Accelerating e-commerce. • Vivernet: offers the possibility to use resources (physical infraestructure and technological equipment) and individualised advise in all the necessary field for entrepeneurs to develop a business idea or initiative without any charge. • Infodex: is working for the consolidation and development of electronic commerce projects born from the existence of more than 90 "Casas de Extremadura" (Emigrants Societies) all around the world. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

24. 3B.- eEurope: Government on line: electronic access to public services • To make easier the access to public services, to reduce the costs of administration and to stimulate citizens to use ICT’s. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

25. 3B- Extremadura: Government on line: electronic access to public services • Extremadura Regional Government offers, by means of its web site (www.juntaex.es), several services to the Community. • It is important to highlight that the visits have increased in a 600% with respect to the year 1999, what can be attributed both to the growing of contents of the portal or to their quality and to the natural evolution of ICT’s in our region. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

26. 3C.- eEurope: Health on line • The prime objective of this action is to develop an infrastructure of user friendly, validated and interoperable systems for health education, disease prevention and medical care. • This action is really important for those areas that, due to its scarce economical development or to its geographycal position, do not have the proper health services in comparisson with most developed areas. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

27. 3C.- Extremadura: Health on line • Infodex project is in charge of the development of a web page for the Health Care Directorate General that from September 2000 collaborates to redefine all the Regional Ministry. • Infodex project has attended to the Seminar about “Hipocusias Infantiles” making a videoconference between the Infant Hospital in Badajoz and Ifeba (Fear Institution). • Training courses for health staff. ISSS CONFERENCE 2001

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