ICT Clusters

2011 Timo Simell

Topics

• About Finland and Tieke• What is an ICT Cluster?• What is needed for cluster to be an effictive organization?• Mediator’s role• The role of the members• International cooperation• Society and companies need new ideas

About Finland

• Population: 5.2 million– uses internet daily 56%

• ICT usage– companies with more than 10 employees

• 99 of 100 companies use ICT • In ICT, accounting, technical and science sectors

• ICT in usage in 39 of 100 companies– Constructing companies

• Open source in use 18% of companies– mostly in ICT companies

• Percentage of all companies CRM in 36% and ERP in 28%• Education level in Finland

– elementary school 33% of the adults– university 8% of the adults

About Tieke

• Established 1981• There are about 100 members

– big companies, ministries, universities• Working

– Between citizens, private companies and public sector• Network consists of about 1000 experts (ICT and other domains)• Employees: 12-16• Non-profit organization• Turnover 1,6 m€, income: member fees, projects, licensees

Finnish ICT- organizations

• FiCom– internet and telephone operators

• COSS Centre for Open Source Solutions– open source

• The Finnish Information Processing Association, FIPA– ict workers

• Finnish Information Security Association (FISA– securitys experts

What is an ICT cluster?

• It is to achieve common goals• It is members who create the cluster and • It is members who decide how important it is!

1+1=3

What is needed for cluster to be an effective organization?

• Organizer must be fulltime, neutral and independent towards its members

• It doesn't work if it is based upon voluntary work. Why?– people don't have time– people change their workplaces– employer don't always give a permission– somebody have to process information

• It takes time to organize cooperation with different kind of companies!

Mediator's role

• There is need for a mediator – a lot of actors from different backgrounds with different

economical interests– someone has to think about citizens– private and public sectors must work together

• What a mediator do?– find and analyzes information – spread information

• email, seminars– produce services to Cluster members

The role of the members - cooperate

• find new cooperation methods between companies• gather knowledge for themselves• build trust to bring up new ideas • build networks also to other than ICT companies

– at the international and domestic level• lobby to change attitudes and legislation

International cooperation?

• Home-field must be in order• It is good to find support and partners among Cluster members• Someway easier to do it with open source –community members• Role of ICT cluster

– is to make road easier to go for ICT companies

Society and companies need new ideas

• There are lot of them• Problem is how to get people to believe in them?

– especially those how have invented them• Share them

– you don't have always possibilities or time to develop them further• Technical solution is not always the main problem but

– how to get people to adapt them to use in practice?• If level to take risks is =0

– no new innovative methods or services• There is always someone who doesn't believe you• Needed knowledge and courage