"Experiences of regional innovation strategies and developments within the information sector and knowledge society" An abstract
Risto Linturi
We used to live in a hierarchical world where kings, queens, prime ministers and presidents ruled. Now the world has become chaotically complex. All the empowering new technologies increase dynamism and turbulences. Many of our current technologies have spread because they support powerful ideas of easy interaction between all the worlds' people. Governments should encourage new ideas, enabling platforms and new global rules. Governor King coined government the ultimate ISP, Infrastructure Service Provider. That was just one of the good ideas he has tried to spread out.
I will present some Finnish examples from our ICT sector where new enabling ideas have been encouraged. Finland has scored number one in many areas including least corrupted, most competitive, most environment friendly and most advanced technologically. Recently we have faltered. Both phenomena are caused by local mental atmosphere, economic conditions and corresponding public policies which I will briefly describe in my presentation.
In 1995 Finnish government decided to invite few dozen influential and outspoken individuals to form a National Information Society Forum lead by two cabinet members. This Forum supported and spread many ideas to propagate egalitarian, open and transparent information society. Many of the introduced ideas have now become common beliefs.
National Technology Fund, TEKES has fixed policies to support technological innovation. TEKES has favoured visionary projects where universities, large and small companies co-operate. TEKES has funded many of the ICT-innovations that have spread out from Finland.
Next I give two TEKES supported examples, actually my pet projects, and both digital city projects. Helsinki Arena 2000 was a catalyst project. It was technologically too ambitious. However it was a successful catalyst and lead to many very practical developments.
The other project is in the area of building automation. Our own home has hundreds of processors, sensors and actuators to directing temperature, ventilation, lights and other functions. COBA-project was initiated to create a standard between building automation, mobile phones and other handheld devices and building management services. This project is now bringing fruit.
I now return to the power of ideas and visions. In our self-organizing world nothing happens unless people get interested and decide to join in. Internet was such an idea. Visions need not be this big to inspire some development. I used to talk about answering my doorbell with my mobile phone when travelling. Few years ago it was also nice to joke about looking inside my fridge with my mobile phone. Today those visions have used up their strength. It is quite common in Finland to pay your parking, tram, carwash or movie with your mobile phone. Devices are monitored with mobile phones and locating services are widely available.
If you study the theory of memes, it explains how ideas spread; if you study the theory of complexity, you will understand that visions cannot really be created by hierarchical organizations of wise decision makers and then handed over to the citizens. Ideas need to spread on their own power. You cannot force development. But you certainly can create fruitful conditions to allow good ideas to flourish. This took place during the nineties in Finland and hopefully again sometime.