This article seeks to explore how a social learning environment can be constructed that uses IT and the Internet. Based on interviews and observations made during two experiments concerning IT and senior citizens in Denmark, the article examines how these experiments make the link between senior citizens and the Internet. In particular, the cases show how IT, as it is used in the social experiments, can be applied to construct empowerment properties and thereby enable “active citizenship” for seniors.

This article seeks to explain and conceptualise certain aspects of industrial and technological change at the regional level, using the Baltic region as a case. The concept of new institutions is applied to understand recent attempts to stimulate organised behaviour, trustrelations and co-operation at the level of low policy. New regional institutions deal with competing pressure groups, but their strength lies mostly in the ability to orchestrate and influence pressure groups in a formative way. The article identifies potential starting points (...) for this regional involvement. It is divided into three parts. First, some of the economic problems and potentials of the Baltic states are scrutinised. Second, some features of new institutions are explored at the theoretical level. Third, some aspects of international policy-making are briefly discussed, especially the concept of low policies and bottom-up approaches. (shrink)