Wales leads European digital collaboration project

Dave Bailey, Computing, Wednesday 9 June 2010 at 17:26:00

EU inter-regional collaboration to find best practice in emerging ICT

A three-year regional initiative project led by Wales focusing on online
business collaboration launched today, funded with ?2.47m (�2.04m) through
Interreg
IVC.

Participants hope the Digital Ecosystems-Learning Application Network
(DE-LAN) project will build on existing European initiatives and projects by
extending inter-regional co-operation to find good practices in emerging ICT.

The project focus is the creation of an online market to connect
organisations, individuals and businesses in a mutually beneficial way.

Deputy first minister for Wales Ieuan Wyn Jones said: "As lead partner for
the DE-LAN project, we're excited by the prospect of working with and learning
from like-minded partner regions from across Europe."

Robert Madelin, European Commission information society and media director
general, said: "Projects such as DE-LAN can help achieve our ultimate goal of
using ICTs to advance job creation, sustainability and social inclusion.?

Interreg IVC is part of the European Territorial Co-operation Objective of
the Structural Fund policies for the period 2007-2013.

Its aims are "to improve the effectiveness of regional development policies
and contribute to economic modernisation and increased competitiveness of
Europe."

There will be regular inter-regional meetings, with the ultimate output being
the identification and analysis of the main characteristics of a successful
digital ecosystem.

The other eight partner regions are located in Belgium, Czech Republic,
Italy, Lithuania, Slovenia and Spain.

Full story at http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2264449/wales-leads-europe-wide-digital