eTampere program - International eTampere - On international activity
Direktor Dr Petri Lintula
Brandeburg University of Technology
Garage Lausitz
Cottbus
4 September 2005
On eTampere’s international activity 2001-2005
Experiences from the inner circle (2001-2003) and evaluation from a distance (2003-2005)
The eTampere programme’s international activity was set in motion with considerable momentum in 2001. Already during its first year the programme managed to create a relatively strong marketing brand and, as a display of recognition, received two certificates from the EU Commission (e-government and best business support). In addition, the volume of the programme’s international project portfolio rose to almost EUR 20 million in the first year. During the first two years there was strong programme-level investment in internationalization in eTampere’s coordination, e.g. through employing a specific resource person at the eTampere Office. Following this, international activity was to a great length taken down to sub-programmes and the project level.
The eTampere programme’s operational model raised global interest and there have been several benchmarkers such as the City of St Petersburg, the Birmingham region, Brandenburg, Kaunas and Thessaloniki. In these regions, a corresponding operational model has been built utilizing the eTampere model and its specialists. eTampere’s ‘exports’ include the e-St Petersburg and clickSandwell programmes.
There has also great deal of recognition and interest in research circles (Manuel Castells, Pekka Himanen, Michael Porter, Paul Timmers, etc.). Particular interest has been raised by eTampere’s social aspect and its role in regional development.
The eTampere programme has offered its brand quite freely for the use of its cooperation network in international activity. This has had both positive and not so positive implications. On the one hand, awareness of the brand increased rapidly, at least in the beginning; on the other hand the meanings associated with the programme became diverse and in certain respects the brand lost its significance for instance when considering its weight in the EU’s various funding programmes.
eTampere has certainly boosted internationalization on many levels in its area of operation, and international cooperation has yielded tangible benefits for the programme and its players, particularly in the research and business sectors. A somewhat sturdier brand management would have achieved more impact in cooperation projects, and in terms of funding it would have been significant for the programme and its players. In addition, it would have been possible to develop services promoting internationalization particularly for small companies in a more sustained manner according to demand.
In summary it could be said that eTampere was a brave leap, even on the international scale, which raised notable international interest. In the early stages of the programme there was an ability to respond well to this interest. The utilization of cooperation networks that had emerged in this manner was perhaps decentralized too early into sub-programmes for the full utilization of buoyancy. But on the other hand, the duration of any one leap is not limitless in its development. Persistent work must be carried out in the background. But from the perspective of the development of knowledge society in Tampere, the next international-level leap is crucial. To this end, the eTampere programme has created a marvellous springboard.
