Information Society

The 8th European Information Society Conference (EISCO), to take place from 20 to 22 May in Bilbao, is to target all those concerned about democracy, administration and services at the local and regional level rather than only Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) experts.

The main topics to be discussed are e-government and information society strategies, in the context of the implementation of the Digital Local Agenda (DLA), a strategic plan for the development of the information society in municipalities and regions. The evaluation of achievements in reducing the digital divide and the exchange of experiences will also be featured on the agenda.

EISCO will serve to demonstrate the importance of a web 2.0 society and the use of ICT for e-government and e-services as these provide local and regional authorities with a heightened potential and valuable opportunities. Indeed, ICT allows for citizens to better access information and provides them with new possibilities to get involved. New types of services emerge in the area of information society while public services are better organised and more efficiently managed. The use of ICT can also help reduce the use of natural resources therefore contributing to a greener and more climate-friendly society.

However, the new opportunities provided by ICT come with a set of challenges for decentralised levels of government. These challenges include striving for e-inclusion, the enhancement of the democratic participation of all citizens, security and privacy issues, and the lack of interoperability and coordination between all levels of government and different sectors.

Practical information

Dates: from 20 to 22 May 2010.
Venue: Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall, Bilbao, Spain.
Closing date for registration: 12 May 2010.
Language facilities: English, Spanish, Basque.

 

For more information concerning the conference, fees or the full programme: EISCO 2010 website.