Summary - ICT conference in Lebanon : The development of a mediterranean ICT space. The role of Lebanon in this space

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have to (and can) be at the heart of the economic and human development in the Mediterranean Basin, provided that a regional active policy is led aiming at the creation of a common digital space, a “.med” area. This is the main conclusion of the conference organized by IPEMED and Bader Young Entrepreneurs program, in partnership with ESA and the Lebanese Ministry of Telecommunications, and the report "Steps towards a .Med area. Confidence in the Mediterranean digital society[1]" published by IPEMED.
 
To implement this digital Mediterranean several proposals are put forward: the development of digital platforms for North - South and South - South cooperation (or cloud computing of general interest), the implementation of a strong industrial policy to support the production of ICT contents and services and the creation of a " MEDTIC " investment fund.
 
ICTs, a growth factor in a new productive system

" ICTs shall no longer be considered just as a sector of potential investment but as being at the heart of the ongoing transformation process of the productive system. It is a strategic stake ", called back Pierre Musso throughout the conference. The countries of the region, in particular those of the South, have to choose innovation (and thus education and training) as the key factor for growth. They have to evolve from a workforce logic to a “brainforce” logic. This also means the implementation of a strengthened support to young engineers in particular to encourage incubators and start-up and, especially, the implementation of an active strategy for the development of ICT contents (software and programs) and services. Southern Mediterranean countries are big consumers, even over-consumers in particular of Internet. The main stake is to encourage the production of contents, to exploit the existing skills - and they are numerous – in order to create jobs, added value and to limit the brain drain towards the United States. The example of Euratechnologies[2] is to be mentioned with 2 600 jobs created between 2008 and 2010.
 
Governance and financing at the heart of the debate

The creation of a Mediterranean digital space and a cloud computing of general interest cannot be done without a deep reflection on its governance, on confidence and on the issue of intellectual property (how to protect a new idea?). A general consensus was reached by all participants on the need to imagine transparent functioning rules and adapted regulations at the regional level.
 
Another key point of the debate concerned the necessary financing needed to set up this “.med” space . As it was recalled by Wahiba Hammaoui, IPEMED’s report highlights the idea of a public - private investment, with countries and companies (in particular telecoms operators) making a long term financial commitment and thus showing confidence towards ICTs. Leila Serhan, from Microsoft Lebanon, reminded the idea of implementing fiscal incentive measures to encourage companies to make this commitment. Khater Abi Habib, president and managing director of Kafalat, evoked the possibility of creating two different funds, one looking for profit and managed by the law of the market and another one having for main objective regional development. What is sure for all the participants is that investors must be ready to take many risks due to the uncertainty of  ICT projects. Therefore, the business angels model seems to Nassim Kerdjoudj, CEO of Net skills, as being maybe more adapted to support companies evolving in the field of ICTs.
 
For Lebanon, accessibility to ICTs is also a major stake

In a country in perpetual reconstruction, and after years of investments in traditional infrastructures (roads, airports, etc.), the priority of the Lebanese government is to improve the access to ICTs. A strategy for the development of ICT, presented in October, 2011, is in the course of approval, explained Mrs Salam Yammout, National ICT Strategy Coordinator at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. This need of infrastructures, particularly shouting in Lebanon, is also felt in other Southern countries.

 
During this first exchange, many of the questions raised in IPEMED’s report remained without an answer. The reflection is just started …


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[1] Report co-wrote by Pierre Musso, Wahiba Hammaoui and Laurent Gille.
[2] Economic excellence park dedicated to ICT and located in Lille (France)