Introduction

I have done some preliminary studies which relate to Asian studies. This is one of the key directions of my research interests. My aim is to study how local and regional governments adjust themselves to the global information age, and how they try to promote economic growth in their areas. This is just a kind of project proposal which is to be specified later.

My starting-point is the observation that investment and location decisions leave room for national, regional and local policies which matter in an increasingly competitive world. We can maintain, that "the success of a state in promoting economic growth depends on its ability to sustain macroeconomic stability (low inflation, low interest rates, blanced budget, etc.) and create an appropriate institutional framework". (Väyrynen, Raimo: Global Transformation. Economics, Politics, and Culture. SITRA 161, 1997, p. 75) It is this 'institutional framework' that I am concerned with.

Geographically my interests are directed to both Nordic and East Asian countries. In the first phase the project is directed to three countries, Finland, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. They provide interesting cases in which the governments at national, regional and local levels are committed to support economic success by measures based on IS policies. I use this term in a relatively loose way here. It covers not only information society strategies and policies but also technology policy, R&D policy and several other relevant policy areas.

Another relevant aspect relates to the role of local and regional governments. Namely, in all of these three countries there has been a lot of discussion about the role of these lower level governments in promoting the development in their respective areas. In Japan, for example, many reforms have made it legitimate to speak about the age of localism. In Korea the process of democratisation and decentralisation has also seen day light. In Finland local government has for a long time had an important role in providing welfare services, but now it is, along with the new regional government system (Regional Councils), to take more responsibility for development activites.

The Case of Finland

I have recently studied the role of local government in the information society in Finland. My project is about local teledemocracy and some related aspects. It is part of a wider research project Information Society in Finland - Present State and Future Prospects (abbreviated as ISFI) financed by the Academy of Finland. This project lasts till the end of 1999.

The Case of Japan

I have published in Finnish an introductory book on regional and local governments in Japan, entitled 'Japanin alue- ja paikallishallinto' (1997), published in ACTA research report series (nr 74, 1997) of The Association of Finnish Local Authorities. I have also prepared a short presentation entitled The Winds of Change on restructuring the local government in Finland and in Japan for the International Seminar on Urban Studies held in Tampere on May 25-26, 1998.

The Case of Korea

For the conference on electronic democracy to be held in Korea I have prepared a net article on the role of local and regional governments in Finland and in Korea facing the challenge of the information age. The draft is entitled Planting the Seeds of Economic Growth and Social Welfare (Draft, April 17, 1998).

Next Steps

My research project on teledemocracy is focussed on the role of local government in the information society in Finland. However, as a kind of subproject I also aim at studying the same theme within Korean and Japanese contexts. How this will be done, is not decided yet. All suggestions for cooperation and joint projects are warmly welcomed.

Tampere, April 25, 1998
Ari-Veikko Anttiroiko