HEREFORDSHIRE companies can have a say in a new five-year plan which is destined to play a key part in the economic transformation of the region.

Advantage West Midlands (AWM) wants their comments on its ICT (Information and Communications Technologies) strategy, Digital Advantage.

The scheme's aim is to tackle what is known as a knowledge divide - where technology is available but people do not have the right knowledge or skills to be able to exploit it.

AWM says despite broadband being available to around 99% of the West Midlands, 42% of all small to medium businesses do not use a computer on a daily basis.

With Digital Advantage, which will help to align the work of the private and public sector, are four strategies:

l The e-Business Advantage - which aims to create interconnected business communities for entrepreneurial and commercial advantage;

l The Knowledge Advantage - a broadband and digital inclusion strategy aiming to serve all businesses, citizens and institutions.

l The Learning Advantage - a Technology for Learning strategy that aims to exploit learning technologies to raise the prosperity of communities, businesses and all individuals.

l The Service Advantage - which aims to harness the region's public sector knowledge and procurement services to stimulate economic growth.

Dr Richard Hutchins, corporate director for skills and sustainable development at AWM, said: "Digital Advantage will be a region-wide strategy to which we hope public and private sector organisations will sign up.

"We, therefore, need input from interested parties now so that this is a strategy which is truly shaped by the people that will be instrumental in making the West Midlands a major driver of the UK economy."

A copy of the Digital Advantage consultation can be downloaded from www.advantagewm.co.uk.

Call 0121 380 3508 for a hard copy Extra comments can be emailed to ictstrategy@advantagewm.co.uk.

The consultation ends on September 16, and a final strategy and action plan will be launched in the following months.