NETWORK 2000

TRANS-EUROPEAN MEETING BY
VIDEO-CONFERENCE & SATELLITE
ON
TELEMATICS AND LIFELONG LEARNING
23 JANUARY 1996

NETWORK 2000 is a membership organisation in Devon & Cornwall (a registered company limited by guarantee) committed to responding to new demands created by the changing nature of work in society through training, upskilling and 'lifelong learning' strategies.

Network 2000 Telematics Consortium for Devon and Cornwall was created by Network 2000 in January 1995 to create an open forum where new telematic application ideas, projects and initiatives could be shared for the benefit of the region. As a corollary, wider partnerships are brokered to strengthen grant applications and facilitate inclusion of all sectors (commercial, local government, education, training, voluntary sector, local community group etc.). Through a more widely shared perspective and understanding of important projects and existing models it is hoped to underpin work on the creation of a regional information strategy.

Membership is open to all those concerned to see the take-up of telematics applications to benefit economic and social development in Devon and Cornwall (and rural Somerset): among the 170 members are most of the main development agencies, local authorities, educational institutions and telecom/computer companies.

Network 2000 Trans-European Telematics and Lifelong Learning Meeting 23 January:

This is the culmination of previous meetings and pilots:

April 1995: pilot of training event via satellite across Devon and Cornwall.

May 1995: meeting hosted by Cornwall County Council in Truro set up a video-conferencing link with DG13 in Brussels enabling Consortium members to closely question Carl Strack specifically on EC bids to the Fourth Framework Programme. As a result everyone present at the meeting gained a clear and shared understanding of what was expected from successful projects and lead proposers of SCRIPT (one of the projects) knew how their project was progressing.

October 1995: The Network 2000 Conference in Plymouth "1995 - 2005: Beyond the Crystal Ball": What does the near future hold for us? what are your expectations of the Information Society? Keynote Speaker - Dr John Taylor OBE, Director of Research at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Bristol and Chairman of the UK Government's Technology Foresight ITEC panel. Closing address by Chris Yapp of ICL on Lifelong Learning programme on:
http://dan.see.plym.ac.uk/nw2000/netw2000

November 1995: 5-way training session via video-conferencing including Isles of Scilly (Cornwall), Penzance, Barnstaple, Exeter and Newton Abbot (part of developing the local network).

January 1996: Network 2000 Trans-European Telematics and Lifelong Learning Meeting via combination of simultaneous satellite and video-conferencing.

• ICL
  
• BT
  
• Government Office for the South West
  
• European Commission
  
• Devon & Cornwall Training and Enterprise Council
  
• Newline Systems Ltd
  
• Zynet
  

THE PROGRAMME

A series of presentations showing the information age and the learning society in action to launch European Year of Lifelong Learning in the region:

'Signpost'

West Cornwall LEADER Project, Camborne, Cornwall

SIGNPOST made a successful bid to Rural Challenge (via the UK's Rural Development Commission) for £1m in November 1995. It aims to create, set up and co-ordinate the management of 40 interactive multi-media computer kiosks in West Cornwall to provide detailed Tourist Information.

The project works with RURAL tourist businesses rather than mass, large-scale companies.

Information is the key and new technology makes it possible for information to be immediate and up to date.

These six questions can be answered in print but new technology can provide more detail and instant access.

In 1994 a small pilot was run under 5b EC funding to develop the software (NB The whole County of Cornwall is an EC Objective 5b area and most of Cornwall is designated a Rural Development Area in the UK). The result was the first kiosk at Land's End. The pilot also involved 2 local Tourist Information Centres on accommodation information which in itself is extremely complex.

SIGNPOST is the next stage being taken forward by a team of 3 organisations:

• ICL is the international computer company writing the software, the "engine" of the project. They are developing interactive kiosks throughout the world for various purposes.

• Chris Neal Design is a Cornish company developing the graphics and what the kiosk information will actually look like when you access it.

• West Cornwall LEADER Project is responsible for training and animation to operate the system.

SIGNPOST currently involved 1800 small businesses being shown how they can benefit from improved customer access to information.

For further information on SIGNPOST (they are very busy so please use their time sparingly):

Mary Hodgson
West Cornwall LEADER Project
Rosewarne
Camborne
Cornwall TR14 0AS

Tel: +44 (0) 1209 716674
Fax: +44 (0) 1209 612215
Email: 100572.2116@compuserve.com