Unless spatial planners, researchers, officials and decision-makers grasp the opportunities the information society provides, the imbalance with Dublin will be accentuated.
Gaps between the haves and have-nots will widen, according to a submission to the National Spatial Policy Committee from the Limerick-based National Micro-electronics Applications Centre (MAC).
It says the information society has made human resources and knowledge the key assets for economic expansion. Information and communication technologies "can dramatically help to counter-balance the huge imbalance between Dublin and the other regions of the country".
The managing director of MAC, Dr John O'Flaherty, and Ms Monica Crump, projects manager, are joint authors of the submission. They say "by eliminating the disadvantage of distance for rural areas and remote communities, change brought about by information and communication technologies has profound implications for the location of activities and for travel patterns and behaviour".
On this account, they predict the main challenges for spatial planning will require "integrated or holistic strategic approaches to policy formulation as well as planning, preparation and implementation. This in turn will require planners to gain new competencies and skills and develop a new knowledge base within planning".
At MAC, located on the campus of the University of Limerick, Ms Crump has drawn up a 15-step guide to setting up a business in Ireland. It explains the electronic procurement of forms and documentation from company registration to VAT forms under the EU INFOBusiness project.