Digital Peninsula Network, Penzance

DIGITAL Peninsula Network (DPN) was established in 1999 to help self employed people in the IT and creative fields battle isolation in the far west of Cornwall. Since its early meetings (12 people meeting regularly in the Penzance Arts Club decided to formalise the group with a constitution and funding bids, spurred by the imminent arrival of the EU Objective One programme) it has grown to over 150 members.

Today it is a nationally significant model for supporting IT and creative micro businesses in urban as well as remote areas. Its approach is based on enabling self employed people and micro businesses to network with one another - particularly where such an infrastructure does not already exist.

Lynda Davis, DPN Director

Lynda Davis, DPN director: 'With other parts of the economy in decline, Cornwall needs projects that support the businesses of the future, those that can operate here despite the physical distance from major centres of economic activity'

In Cornwall in particular, the people who established the network felt that those whose work relied upon IT needed special assistance. 'The farming, tourism, fishing and other traditional parts of the economy were well served by economic development projects,' says Lynda Davis, Digital Peninsula Network's director. 'What was needed was a tailored project supporting the often hidden IT and creative businesses here. With other parts of the economy in decline, Cornwall needed - and still needs - more effort put into these businesses of the future, those that can operate here despite the physical distance from major centres of economic activity.'

The main aims of the network are to help members learn from one another and to collaborate - going for bigger business by working together on tenders and contracts. It also helps members to share costs and access high end equipment (for example A3 colour scanners, digital cameras and presentation projectors). And they can pick up skills by using the latest software and attending training specified by members themselves.

A physical presence

Digital Peninsula Network not only helps its members link up via its website (www.digitalpeninsula.com) and regular email newsletters. It also provides a physical centre for them to use as a workspace as much or as little as they need. For an area where isolated home working was previously the norm, the network centre in Penzance is the hub, the place where members can meet one another, ask advice and potentially work as a team on projects.

Each member can use their own screen settings on any of the centre's 12 terminals. They can also access their own emails and send them from the centre using their own email address. 'We like to be ahead of the game, helping members use to using equipment they can then get themselves when they are familiar with it and their business grows,' says Lynda Davis. When the centre was first kitted out (following a successful innovative cluster fund bid to SWRDA in 2000), high speed broadband was installed - before BT brought ADSL to Cornwall. This enabled members to be familiar with broadband before they could get it in their own premises. Unsurprisingly many signed up for ADSL as soon as it came. 'Today we continue local equipment pioneering with wireless working in the building and with plans for virtual office and webconferencing facilities,' says Davis.