Overview July 1999: Mediterranean Countries

1. Introduction

The national reports and the database provide numerous references of key person contacts and organisations dealing with the Information Society in the Mediterranean countries. Governmental bodies and administrations play a major role in a lot of aspects of the Information Society. They elaborate and finance projects and national development programs and they initiate the implementation of key telecommunications and Internet networks. On the other side, private associations and private companies play an increasing role in countries that know an economic growth and opening.

2. Key organisations

Most of the contacts belong to the following entities:

• Ministries and governmental organisations are key actors of the Information Society. They initiate and finance IS programs. Furthermore, they organise national R&D activities, create dedicated research centres and institutes. Ministries involved in IS are mainly Ministries of Posts and Telecommunications and Ministries of Transportation and Communications. In nearly all the Mediterranean countries, telecommunications operators are still state owned and are part of the Ministries of Posts and Telecommunications. The fact that telecommunications technologies are an essential component of Information Society confers to the Ministries a major role.

The database provides the references of key contacts, most of the time the ministers and high officials of the ministries. In Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan for example, the ministries involved are the Ministries of Posts and Telecommunications. In Turkey, the two Directorates for Telecommunications depend on the Ministry of Transportation. Other ministries involved in Information Society are the ministries of Economy & Industry, Education and Finance.Nearly all the governments announced that the promotion and the spread out of Information Technologies were a priority as it may accelerate the economical and social development. In many countries, governments have created dedicated Secretaries of States and other entities dealing with IS. For Tunisia, the database provides the references of the Secretary of State for Science, Research & Technology and the references of the Secretary of State for Informatics. These Secretaries have implemented several programs mainly dedicated to the research promotion. For example, the Secretary of State for Science, Research & Technology created the National Network of Research and Technology that interconnects 22 national research centres. The government of Cyprus formed a Ministerial Committee aiming at the elaboration of an Action Plan for the development of IS. It includes many ministers: Minister of Interior, Exterior, Finance, Education, Communication, the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority and the Department of Computer Science of University of Cyprus. In Jordan, the Higher Council for Science & Technology has a major role as it is responsible for the elaboration of the Jordan science and technology policy. In Turkey, Tubitak is the national science & technology Council responsible for science & technology policies. In Syria, the Syrian Computer Society was established as a non-governmental and non-profit organisation aimed at promoting the information technologies. It works in association with ministries, as the Ministry of Education.

• Universities and research institutes have a very important role in the generation and the implementation of IS projects. They work closely with the governments. They naturally appear to be a main relay of the governments in the fields dealing with Research and Technology. In Palestine, Birzeit University has become a key Palestinian IT policy centre : it offers consulting services regarding IS and networks, its web site offers extensive information dealing with news and the Internet Community. In Cyprus, the Department of Computer Science of the University of Cyprus works with the government and semi-governmental committees. The University of Malta if the main institution that focuses on IS technologies in the country. In Tunisia, it is interesting to note the existence of the National Network of Agricultural Research (IRESANET) that interconnects research centers & universities working in the field of agriculture. One can note also in Tunisia the existence of research institutes under the responsibility of ministers, for example the Institute of Scientific Research in Data Processing and Telecommunications (IRSIT) that performs R&D in telecommunications and natural language translation. In Turkey, we can cite the Bogazici University and the Middle East Technical University. Other universities exist, they are quoted in the database.

• Main cities constitute key political and economical decision centres. Furthermore, they are closer to the inhabitants than the ministers. Consequently, they may play an important role in the spread out of IS. In Turkey, Istanbul and Ankara and their utility organisations conduct IS projects.

• Chambers of Commerce & Industry and professional associations are important actors whose mission is mainly to inform and support private companies. For Turkey, the database provides the references of the Union of Banks, the Turkish Data Processing Association or the Association of Turkish Industrialists & Businessmen, etc. Several associations exist in Malta, for example, the Federation of Industries, the Association of retailers & Traders and the Malta External Trade Corporation.

• Private companies that constitute key contacts belong naturally mainly to the data processing & electronic sectors and to the telecommunications sector. Leading international information technologies equipment suppliers are present in numerous Mediterranean countries where they established subsidiaries. However, some local companies have also a leading role in the IT market in hardware and software. The company Escort is an example in Turkey.

• Telecommunications companies are also key actors of the Information Society as they act as main promoters and diffusers of new technologies. Furthermore, dominant telecommunications operators must meet special requirements linked to their mission of "public service". Their action is an important component of the economical development. The database provides the references of the historic operators. As mentioned above, most of them are State-owned and are part of the Ministries of Posts and Telecommunications. In all the countries, the Internet sector is the most opened. It includes dynamic actors. Their references may be very useful to any potential local or foreign partner or to any company or institute end-user that have telecommunications and Internet particular needs. They are provided in the database. Internet Service providers (ISP) are private or State-owned. In Palestine, the Palestinian Academic Network (Palnet) is the main ISP, others are Jerusalem On Line, Marna Net, Palestine On Line and Rafah On Line. In Jordan, there are 6 commercial ISPs, we can cite Computer Networking Services, Global One. It is worth noting the Middle East Communications Corp, a Jordan private company that provides integrated communications solutions in the Middle East. In Algeria, the Research Center on Technical and Scientific Information (CERIST) is the only ISP currently. Its mission is to set up a technical and scientific network at national scale. In Tunisia, the Tunisian Internet Agency (State-owned) operates the national Internet backbone. Other ISPs belong mainly to the Scientific and Academic world. Planet Tunisie and 3S Global Net.