To develop cooperation, trade and commerce (electronic commerce in particular) between actors in the Mediterranean economies, there must be guarantees for secure transactions, trade and electronic data storage. Shared information systems (i.e. storage and information transfer, added-value services pooled in common management tools), are crucial to security and trust between regional actors. To achieve this, we need to identify routes that could contribute to security and trust in computerizing Mediterranean society
Computerization is comparable with what was the industrialization process, i.e., a historical process that takes place over a long period aiming to automatically process all kinds of information.
In our era of global economies, referred to as knowledge or immaterial economies, the key development and competitiveness factors are information systems. To develop cooperation, exchange and trade, in particular electronic trade, between all Mediterranean stakeholders, we need to guarantee secure transactions and instil trust into exchanges and electronic data storage.
Building up this level of trust entails developing high speed communication networks, sharing electronic resources based on the model of capacity sharing of the electric network, co-developing tele-services, training and research. Shared information systems (storage and information exchange, added-value services pooled via... 
Computerization is comparable with what was the industrialization process, i.e., a historical process that takes place over a long period aiming to automatically process all kinds of information.
In our era of global economies, referred to as knowledge or immaterial economies, the key development and competitiveness factors are information systems. To develop cooperation, exchange and trade, in particular electronic trade, between all Mediterranean stakeholders, we need to guarantee secure transactions and instil trust into exchanges and electronic data storage.
Building up this level of trust entails developing high speed communication networks, sharing electronic resources based on the model of capacity sharing of the electric network, co-developing tele-services, training and research. Shared information systems (storage and information exchange, added-value services pooled via common management tools), are crucial to security and trust between regional actors.
The main aim of the reflection launched by IPEMED in 2010, is to identify how to enhance security and trust in the computerization of Mediterranean society. Priority study countries are France, Italy and Spain for the European Union and Egypt, Turkey and the Maghreb countries for the SEMCs.
To achieve this reflection, a work group has been created. It is composed of ICT experts from the North and the South of the Mediterranean. The expert group will validate the hypothesis of work identified, evaluate their feasibility and explore any new idea capable of enhancing security and trust in the share of Euro-Mediterranean information systems. This reflection it is not about building standards or labels or tools exclusively addressed to the Mediterranean region, as ICT are universal as well as networks are global. It is about imagine a possible cooperation that will accelerate the entrance of regional actors in the revolution of numeric exchanges.
The following actors were part of the expert group :
Pierre BECKOUCHE, Scientific counsellor, IPEMED
Vincent BEILLEVAIRE, UNIT Delegate general, Research centre of Royallieu
Bouchra BOULOUIZ, Researcher and President of the Forum of communications in Morocco - FORCOM
Emmanuele CARBONI, Vice-president, Telecom Italia
Laurent GILLE, Professor ENST Paris
Wahiba HAMMAOUI, Research assistant Télécom Paris Tech
Alain KAVENOKY, UNIT Scientific director
Nassim KERDJOUDJ, General director, Net Skills
Yamina MATHLOUTHI, Resercher, IRMC
Alessandra MERCANTI, Telecom Italia
Pierre MUSSO, Professor, University of Rennes and Télécom Paris Tech
Laurent PONTHOU, Orange Program Manager AMEA Technocentre Cluster Voice & AMEA Group Marketing Innovation
Giuseppe RICHERI, Professor on information and communication, Facoltà di Scienze della comunicazione, Italy
Gilbert TOUZOT, UNIT President - Université Numérique nationale Ingénierie et Technologie
Confidence is an accelerating factor in relations and exchanges. Strengthening trust between individuals, peoples and nations appears to be a necessary step in developing the communities they live in. The Mediterranean community displays certain types of trust but is nevertheless subject to recurring mistrust. How can the advent of a digital society and economy – or in other words, a society and economy where relations and exchanges take place in digital environments or via digital media – modify the nature, force and extent of the trust that reigns there?
This report contains two main types of observation:
- Digital technology, by rendering relations and exchanges more opaque, can reduce mistrust, but it can also encourage it when associated with bad services or coercive policies;
- Digital technology profoundly modifies the relational ecosystem: more than an interpersonal medium,...
Confidence is an accelerating factor in relations and exchanges. Strengthening trust between individuals, peoples and nations appears to be a necessary step in developing the communities they live in. The Mediterranean community displays certain types of trust but is nevertheless subject to recurring mistrust. How can the advent of a digital society and economy – or in other words, a society and economy where relations and exchanges take place in digital environments or via digital media – modify the nature, force and extent of the trust that reigns there?
This report contains two main types of observation:
- Digital technology, by rendering relations and exchanges more opaque, can reduce mistrust, but it can also encourage it when associated with bad services or coercive policies;
- Digital technology profoundly modifies the relational ecosystem: more than an interpersonal medium, it can be the vector of a common area.
To this end, the spread of digital technology is not just a question of technological assimilation; it calls for a genuine strategy and suitable governance so that it can be used for national, regional and Mediterranean development.
Digital technology is too important to be strategically led and governed at national level alone. Europe has understood this: it has made the information society the pivot of EU policy on economic growth, the creation of a single market and the advent of a society of knowledge. Digital technology can encourage the construction of this common area that will gradually constitute a community if it is suitably governed. This major challenge in terms of government strategy can also be found at Mediterranean level, and the reason we propose creating a Mediterranean common digital space to act as a catalyst of trust between individuals, peoples and states bordering this liquid continent.
The expert group suggest five strategic axes for national and supranational Mediterranean public policies on ICT. The first of these is essential, since it conditions the whole approach.
- To create a digital Mediterranean which implies a cloud (computing) defining a “.med” space, a user and reference charter and a Mediterranean ICT label to encourage standard practices and the implementation of a debate on potential policies to protect intellectual property, privacy and sovereignty.
- The creation of a Medtic fund (public-private partnership) that would finance all “ .med” accredited start ups as well as exchange platforms.
- Support a Mediterranean industrial policy on content production and, within this framework, encourage content-developing projects like the digitalisation of the archives of the Mediterranean cultural and historical patrimony or the creation of a WebTV for the Mediterranean.
- Promote research and training, two mayor axes of a Mediterranean policy. The priority will be to educate the young, along with trainers, government officials and economic leaders as well as to develop research activities on renewable energy, electronic payment and network security. Vital measures for encouraging research, training and innovation involve creating a network of technical clusters on research, innovation and development, a Mediterranean observatory of data and the intangible and, a virtual, networked University of the Mediterranean.
- Celebrate the digital Mediterranean with an annual, cultural, scientific and pedagogical event. This founding and federating ICT Mediterranean event could gather Mediterranean ICT society and users and could be the occasion of innovating and original ICT or network initiatives.
September 2010 : set up of the ICT workgroup
October 2010 : First workgroup meeting : launching the reflection.
November 2010 : workgroup meeting : reflection on the subject of « trust »
January 2011: workgroup meeting : summary of the report and sectorial fields of research
March 2011 : workgroup meeting in Istanbul
April 2011 : workgroup meeting
June 2011 : final report
July 2011 : presentation of the final report during an IPEMED’s breakfast.
November 2011: publication of the final report « Confidence in the Mediterranean digital society”
September 2010 : set up of the ICT workgroup
October 2010 : First workgroup meeting : launching the reflection.
November 2010 : workgroup meeting : reflection on the subject of « trust »
January 2011: workgroup meeting : summary of the report and sectorial fields of research
March 2011 : workgroup meeting in Istanbul
April 2011 : workgroup meeting
June 2011 : final report
July 2011 : presentation of the final report during an IPEMED’s breakfast.
November 2011: publication of the final report « Confidence in the Mediterranean digital society”
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