Technology transfer: CONNECT, a strategy for promoting electronic commerce in an economically deprived region

It is envisaged that the development of new technology, especially the World Wide Web, will lead to a restructuring of businesses, which will become less hierarchical and more networked, with ad hoc high-performance teams. Investment in the technology, however, involves a commitment in terms of training and restructuring (probably greater than the cost of the equipment) with no guarantee of the return. CONNECT is a program whereby Liverpool University is helping SMEs to exploit the Internet. The article first discusses reasons for businesses´ reluctance to adopt new technology. It then describes what is done through CONNECT: education, work experience and placement, the creation of a Web business community, cheap entry into the technology, and the development of a consumer base