Presentation Title
broadband and regional development

Biography

Dr. Flemming Just is professor at University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, and head of the Danish Institute of Rural Research and Development. He has a long experience in leadership of research and development projects, coordinator and member of many EU projects. He has recently published on second homes and rural development, broadband and regional development, municipalities and rural policies, and local food production and networks. Current projects deals with knowledge institutions and regional development, and local food production and experience economy. He is member of many regional and national boards and foundations, among others the Danish Strategic Research Council. He is also involved in concrete development, e.g. as initiator and chairman of the largest Danish food+experience economy network, Waddensea Products. Contact: Danish Institute of Rural Research and Development (IFUL) University of Southern Denmark Niels Bohrs Vej 9 6700 Esbjerg Denmark Tel. Dir. +45 6550 4220 Mobile +45 6011 4220 E-mail fj@sam.sdu.dk www.sdu.dk/iful

Notes on presentation:

• Concerned about lack of interest in Broadband – need to focus on¬†concept and using imagination
• Important for future, bringing great gains to rural areas but¬†expensive
• Real Broadband gap – less Broadband in less developed areas and¬†also slower growth in rural regions
• Surveyed people in 2 small communities who believed Broadband would:

1. Enable work from home
2. Create local jobs
3. Make families feel they had equal access to people living in towns
4. Bind local associations
5. Influence business development
6. Enable combination of country living and being self-employed

• People didn’t think about the technology involved and considered¬†other issues more important eg cheap housing, transport
• Broadband can stabilise, even increase population of rural areas
• Useful for development of IT skills
• Too many people think it’s just about entertainment
• E-learning should be further developed
• Marketing doesn’t solve all problems – how can Broadband¬†installation be more demand driven?

From Q + A session

• UK demand aggregation model in public sector good, but who takes¬†initiative to organise this? Could rural areas do this?
• Sometimes lack of infrastructure for internet connections, fibre¬†optics too expensive, resulting in young people moving out to¬†urban areas
• Suggestion that investment (by public sector) in this area should¬†happen now when interest rates are low and it could provide employment
• Important for community to have a vision, as this could encourage¬†demand
• Politicians need to be central figures and make national decisions¬†for everyone, rather than this being a commercial issue
• Young people need to lobby MPs