The aim of the research project was to identify and summarise previous findings on the spatial effects of the application of new technologies. Against this background, particular attention was paid to national and international adaptation strategies and regional initiatives that seek to manage structural change by means of new technologies. The current and future role of the federal government and its measures to promote structural change also played a central role.

The IZT's work focussed on literature and document research on the relevance of innovative information and communication technologies for regional structural change. Furthermore, strategies and measures in the rural regions of the federal state of Brandenburg to promote the use of information and communication technologies were analysed and evaluated. The methodological approach focussed on expert interviews with local stakeholders. Good examples were identified and success factors determined. A comparison with other regions in Germany and Scandinavia was to examine the possibilities of transferability of successful strategies and measures. Based on this, recommendations for action were developed for policymakers and discussed in an expert workshop. In addition, the possibilities of transferability and the institutionalisation of regional structural change were examined.