For over twelve years Wales has been a major EU region in information society development and delivery, making it ideally qualified for the role of lead partner in the DE-LAN project.
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) account for 99% of the Welsh business landscape and Wales has been instrumental in putting information communication technology (ICT) at the heart of the economy.
The purpose of Wales’ ICT unit is to boost the performance of Welsh businesses and the wider Welsh economy by accelerating the integration of ICT to enable growth, reduce costs, boost innovation and so enhance profitability. Its portfolio of current programmes is defined by e-Business support, Digital Business Collaboration, DE-LAN, e-Futures and e-Crime awareness supported by demand driven activities such as summits, workshops and roadshows.
As a founder member of the EU Regional Information Society Initiative, Wales has considerable experience of collaborative projects and is a key influencer in interregional policies and practices. Participation in PEARDROP (Promoting Ecosystems and Regional Development in support of Regional Development Programming), established Wales at the leading edge of Digital Business Ecosystem (DBE) deployment.
Through its dedicated Digitally Networked Business (DNB) project, Wales is developing initiatives in sectors including Bioscience, Construction, Marine Science, Innovation and Tourism. The most progressed of these is in the Creative Industries, which employs 19,000 in the Wales.
The Creative Industries embraced the concept of DNBs, understanding that it could be a good environment in which to develop ideas, as well through which to showcase their work to other businesses in Wales and globally.
Through this collaboration, the sharing of knowledge and the fine-tuning of ideas, Welsh SMEs are at an advantage in competing for new opportunities. On a practical level, businesses are able to source the right partners for ventures and share resources, particularly helpful for small businesses looking to introduce themselves to larger clients.
Through the DE-LAN programme, Wales aims to:
- Further develop its existing DNBs, along with DEs in other sectors including Biosciences, Construction and Marine Science
- Deliver the benefits of innovation, wider promotion, supply chain efficiency and new products, services and markets for its SMEs and industries
- Learn from the experiences of partner regions through the life of the programme
- As project lead, ensure a well planned programme reaching its objectives, through effective reporting and collaboration between partner regions.
