Aygen S. Kurt School of Cultural and Innovation Studies UNIVERSITY of EAST LONDON The GLOBELICS ACADEMY 24 May-03 June 2004, Lisbon Turkish ICT Sector and the European Information Society: Innovation for integration?

Structure of the talk Aims Significance Research questions Research methods Empirical research

Aims To explore and assess the role of Turkish ICT sector with a focus on SMEs as a possible system in Turkey’s integration process with the European information society; By focusing the ICT sector only; to understand whether they are clustered at one or more of the levels of innovation systems – spatial, sectoral, or functional (Edquist 2001); To investigate how and why the ICT sector interacts with other parts of innovation systems including the Turkish state and the EU.

In order to accomplish the aims, this study will…. Describe and analyse the EU’s IS policies in the light of prior work done since 1990s focusing on ICTs; Evaluate Turkey’s IS policies in relation to EU’s objectives and to the policies of selected other EU/accession countries; Map out the ICT sector and SMEs in this sector Explore the sector’s links to the EU’s objectives

Significance Application of recently-developed systems of innovation approach in “sectors” by investigating whether there is an intra-sectoral clustering in ICT sector among in Turkey; The empirical research to be done in Turkey; The context of ”informational capitalism” (Castells 2000).

Turkish S & T policy since 1990s and EU’s IS policy Turkey - Adopting a national S & T policy Aiming for the establishment of a well- functioning national system of innovation. Integrating into the EU’s S & T programmes (particularly ERA and FP6) EU -Bangemann Report (1994) eEurope2001; eEurope2005; eEurope+ Plans; thus eTurkey Initiative as a response by Turkish PM Office (2001).

The Problem ICTs - at the core of IS; focus on ICT sector only SMEs – Contribution of SMEs as dynamic actors in the European economy; their crucial role in all aspects of industry with a particular emphasis on ICTs (EC 2003b; 2003c) Therefore, the problem appeared: What is happening in the ICT sector if Turkey strives for European IS and if particularly SMEs are amongst the main drivers of economy in the EU?

Question How can Turkey integrate with the European IS? What are the roles for Turkish ICT sector in this process?

Preliminary Hypotheses Are Turkish SMEs in ICT sector part of an innovation system; are are they clustered? If so, are the boundaries of this system determined – sectorially, spatially or functionally (Edquist 2001). How does the system interact internally; with the Turkish state and the EU’s IS policy agenda? Why do they choose [those] ways to interact?

How can Turkey integrate with the European IS? Roles for ICT sector? Questions HypothesisRelated theory/ context SourceMethod 1 What is European information society (IS)? It has evolved with greater influence of the Bangemann Report for the last decade. Informational capitalism EC web site; EC policy documents since 1990s; eEurope Action Plans; Internet search Qualitative (mapping) 2 Where does Turkey stand within the European IS? 1) Turkey is trying to adopt the EU’s IS directly. 2) Turkey has a potential market in ICTs and have relatively developing indicators in the sector. Informational capitalism EC Innovation Scoreboard; Turkish Telecom; SPA; TUBITAK; OECD; World Bank Quantitative (bench- marking) Qualitative (data analysis and interviews) 3 Is Turkish ICT sector (with a focus on SMEs) part of a system? Turkish ICT sector constitutes a sectoral system of innovation. Sectoral systems of innovation (SIS) INTERPRO; TESID; KOSGEB; TUSIAD: TBV: Economics Congress; Chambers, KOBINet Quantitative and qualitative Collecting factual data Case study 4 How are the boundaries of this system to be defined? Sectorally / regionally Cluster of firms around one particular type of technology SISAs aboveQualitative interviewing 5 How does the system interact internally and externally? Why? Interaction by their means State’s ineffective policies SISAs aboveInterviews

Categorisation of the sample Empirical research in Turkey ProvinceOperationBenefits/Location Izmir, Istanbul, Ankara  Service Providers,  Manufacturers  Traders of ICTs  State-funded technology centres; incubators  Cyberparks, technoparks  Totally independent

Empirical research in Turkey cont. *Source: Adapted from the SME informationnetwork database in Turkey. The SMEs shown above are chosen among the registered ones under the referred database only. ( 20 November 2003)

Questions planned for interviewees To what extent they are aware of national and EU support programmes; To what extent they are operating in a network with the other companies in their sector; Sector-specific questions; Prior/recent experience in terms of partnerships at int.al / EU level; Future perceptions on EU-Turkey integration, i.e. Why Turkey should be a part of EU’s IS?

Expected Possible Results Finding out systemic interactions among the companies (particularly SMEs) They are clustered around one technological area, that the boundaries are determined according to the sector itself, and regionally at the same time perhaps; and then It is meaningful to talk about the existence of a variant of an innovation system in Turkey. Findings will lead to explain how Turkey is able to cope with informational capitalism, where it locates itself in IS, how a clustered sector takes part in the integration process between Turkey and the European information society.

Thank you… Aygen S. KURT PhD Student University of East London School of Cultural and Innovation Studies Tel: +44 (0)