Parallel Workshop Session: Workshop 2.1 Accessibility Patterns, Transport Infrastructure ESPON Internal Seminar 2012 “Territorial Development Opportunities in Europe and its Neighbourhood to Foster Global Competitiveness”

1. What are the main territorial trends or observations from your project - for Europe, its regions and cities - in relation to “access to services and resources, ICT, accessibility patterns”? Europe is progressing at different rates in the Information Society. It is possible to appreciate a Digital Divide between Central Europe and the Scandinavian Region with the rest of the European regions. The European Eastern regions show the worst situation. The competitiveness of European regions would definitively require their integration into the Information Society. The most advanced regions in the Information Society are also those that have better rates of GDP per capita and employment. 2

The Digital Agenda for Europe proposes the creation of a single digital market based on fast internet access and advanced services. The main aim by 2013 is broadband access for all, but in 2010 only 61% of households accessed the Internet via broadband and 34% of individuals ordered good or services over the Internet for private use. People working in the IT sector shows that the regional distribution of ICT employment is highly uneven. Rural areas in Scandinavia are a model to follow in the Information Society, breaking the paradigm of the Digital Divide in rural areas. 3

2. How do developments in Europe´s neighborhood influence the territorial development in Europe and vice-versa (according to your mind / your ESPON findings)? It is possible to appreciate a Digital Divide between Europe with its neighborhood which complicates the territorial development. For instance, while 71% of the population in developed countries are online, only 21% of the population in developing countries are online. By the end of 2010, Internet user penetration in Africa reached 9.6%. Africa still lags behind in the Information Society. 4

3. What opportunities and challenges exists for Europe and its neighbourhood for increasing competitiveness through further cooperation and integration? (according to your mind / your ESPON findings)? First of all it is necessary to save Europe from the Digital Divide. The competitiveness of European regions would definitively require their integration into the Information Society. The Scandinavian peripheral regions use ICT as strategic tools to overcome their geographical distance to Central Europe. This geographical pattern could be the solution for the European neighbourhood in the Information Society. Integration and territorial cohesion between Europe and its neighbourhood will be of benefit if ICT spread is facilitated. This phenomenon requires public and private infrastructures, training and skills in ICT, low internet access prices and policies to promote the online interactive services. 5