Information and communication technologies and local economic development policies: The British case

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are fast becoming the basis of economic development and those areas which fail to participate in such developments risk increasing marginalization. In order to address this problem local authorities have increasingly incorporated ICT policies and initiatives into their local economic development strategies. Much of the evidence for this in Great Britain is partial and anecdotal. This paper provides an overview of the development of these local ICT initiatives from survey evidence. The evidence suggests that ICTs are an important component of policy, but their impact will be limited in the absence of a co-ordinated national response.