ICTs and regional sustainability: A critique and a way forward

Claims have been made about the role of ICTs in regional sustainability for some time. However, ICT initiatives have often stalled for a number of reasons: • They are largely ICT supply-driven and fail to specify and address the local cultural impediments and opportunities. In particular, they mis-specify and under resource the human infrastructure required; • They do not take account of the dynamics of the global ICT industry; • They are overoptimistic about the productivity improvement ICTs can bring in traditional industries; and • They often overlook the importance of content per se. Are there more realistic models of the role of ICTs in regional development? From the participatory action research we have conducted in two rural communities in Queensland, Australia, we suggest that more realistic and potentially effective models must: • Achieve clarity in specifying sustainability goals; • Leverage micro-business enterprise development off government funded technical and human infrastructure provision, and build on local industry strengths; • Learn from global experiences whilst building on local assets; • Find innovative business models to capitalise on new opportunities for content and applications; • Ensure community involvement in deciding, planning and evaluating projects; and • Adopt a learning approach through cycles of evaluation based on action research.