In section 7.1 the role of the ICT Cluster in the competitiveness of Ballarat was emphasised. For a cluster to be effective, there is increasing evidence that it must also have a clear identity to attract investment, skilled professionals and collaborative partnerships.

Ballarat already has a strong profile but this will need to be strengthened for the cluster to continue as an attractor to new ICT activity. In short, develop Ballarat as a 'happening' place. Capital and knowledge gravitate to locations where there is activity, excitement and the chance of lucrative collaborations or fortuitous spill-overs of knowledge. Ballarat must maintain its regional ICT leadership reputation and work towards generating and celebrating some real successes. It can do this across the broad scope of the ICT industry or foster a dynamic research culture in targeted areas such as data and knowledge, games, the arts and media.

In a specific attempt to lure footloose professionals it is suggested that Ballarat foster the development of a 'creative environment' to attract the creative class that Florida (2003) attributes much of the regional growth that has occurred in specific locations of the US. By joint-sponsoring of the arts, the environment, sport, streetscapes, housing and public places and by underwriting the creation of 'smart' locations with wireless access to information for mobile consumers a 'creative class' will be encouraged to the City and will help drive further ICT innovation.

Profile 11 - Issy-les-Moulineaux

Issy-les-Moulineaux is a town of 70,000 on the outskirts of Paris. In 2005, Issy was nominated, among the ‘Top 7 Intelligent Communities’ by an international panel. Its profile came from innovative policies on e-government including a multimedia-equipped City Council room that permits citizens to participate in Council meetings; through a “CommeVous” search engine on the city’s Web site that allows citizens to discover people who share their interests; through the attraction of multiple carriers to provide high-speed Internet service via ADSL-2 or cable modem at speeds of up to 20 Mbps by 2004; and through the establishment of an ICT interpretative centre called Le Cube. Le Cube is a cultural space dedicated entirely to digital creation. Managed by a local association, it promotes ICT through the Arts. Through theme-based workshops, projects and training suited to all levels, Le Cube allows the community to access the cultural and artistic practices offered by new technologies. Le Cube's facilities include 60 computers, several rooms for multimedia training, a large exhibition space, three workshops dedicated to artists in residence, a special multimedia room for young children, and a documentation and resources centre.