European Centre for Research on Federalism

The paper focuses on the need for research in the social sciences in order to monitor and influence the ways the regions in Europe deal with the evolving Information Society. It concentrates on four questions: What is the quality of social change the Information Society will bring to the regions? How will the regions deal with the problem of popular (un)awareness of the new challenges of the Information Societies, and how can a new consensus on technological and social innovation be created? How can regions influence the direction of social change, and what are the most promising strategies for regional economic development? What can the Information Society contribute to interregional co-operation and to a greater regional cohesion of the European Union?  It is essential to keep in mind that the future of the regional Information Society is neither the product of a purely economic nor a technological logic, but that there are political options for its shape between which regional societies and governments can choose. The regional legitimization of the new communication structures can be strengthened by an application of new technologies which are shaped by regional and local needs and by the establishment of a regional dialogue between interest groups, local/ regional government and business. Social science could support these processes by producing regional profiles of the awareness of problems of the Information Society, the stereotypes and fears it provokes, the capacity of opinion leaders to contribute to a more informed dialogue and the need for additional networking to stabilize the information structures and the regional and local dialogues.  The multi-layered political system of the EU exerts considerable influence on the regions scope for action. Especially in the economic field, the public sector and with regard to the emergence of new lifestyles the efficient balance between regional self-determination and the complex interdependence with other policy levels (local, regional, national, supra- and international) has to be found and evaluated by social science research.