Technology And Economic Development

Examines the impact IT has on politics, education, sociology, and technology. Focuses on the benefits of IT for developing countries, whose problems must be solved, and obstacles overcome in order to further IT advancement.

This study examines the effects of technological change on economic growth and development, synthesizing extensive research from multiple disciplines, including geography and planning, regional science, entrepreneurship, technology policy and economics. It uses the framework of regional development to encompass economic dynamics at all spatial scales: national, regional and local. The concept of regional development is introduced as the qualitative or structural features of a region's economy, as opposed to its sheer size or growth rate. The analysis also examines the core-periphery dichotomy, where the core is defined as a set of regions in which complexity, technology, and control are the norm, and where linkages to other nodes and the global system are common. The discussion also draws a distinction between economic growth and economc development; the former designates increases in population within a specific area, or increases in the quantity or the value of the goods and services, and does not necessarily lead to qualitative improvements in life, the way development does. Technological capability is closely related to capability in R&D. Economic change, including technological change, is an evolutionary process. Much technological change is cumulative within firms, and within regions and nations. The analysis explains some reasons behind this phenomenon. It then focuses on the internal organization of R&D within firms. Issues of strategy, organization and external relationships are the means of competing in a setting of rapid technological and political change. R&D is necessary for competitiveness, but not enough; conventional strategies are changing to encompass people -- their contacts and skills -- as another vital basis for success of firms in new technologies and in alliances and other cooperations. The location of economic activities is explored. There are two major sets of influences on the innovativeness and competitiveness of places: (1) technical skills and information are key in the process of technological change and competition; and (2) urban areas contain a complex synergy of factors that smaller, more remote places cannot attain. Producer services, which are strongly based on knowledge and symbolic analysis, are therefore typically clustered in cities. Small firms and entrepreneurship are examined as a crucial part of a well-functioning regional economy. Research has demonstrated the close relationship between entrepreneurship and regional and local development. Innovativeness developed within local inter-firm networks both supports existing firms and presents opportunities for starting new businesses in order to serve newly identified markets. Networks of firms complement and sometimes substitute for a firm's own technological capability. Networks of large firms and the globalization of economic activity are then considered. Policy attempts at national, regional and local scales to influence the location of economic activity are analyzed. The economic progress and prospects of developing countries are assessed. Policies for innovation, entrepreneurship, and the functioning of the economy are essential, and require flexibility in order to respond to changing conditions in the world economy, in specific product markets, and in technology. Concludes with a discussion of some of the central themes that were facing society at the end of the 1990s, including basic needs for human development, environmental issues, employment and human capital, and infrastructures for future technologies. (AT).

Technology's contribution to economic growth and competitiveness has been the subject of vigorous debate in recent years. This book demonstrates the importance of a historical perspective in understanding the role of technological innovation in the economy. The authors examine key episodes and institutions in the development of the U.S. research system and in the development of the research systems of other industrial economies. They argue that the large potential contributions of economics to the understanding of technology and economic growth have been constrained by the narrow theoretical framework employed within neoclassical economies. A richer framework, they believe, will support a more fruitful dialogue among economists, policymakers, and managers on the organization of public and private institutions for innovation. David Mowery is Associate Professor of Business and Public Policy at the School of Business Administration, University of California, Berkeley. Nathan S. Rosenberg is Fairleigh Dickinson Professor of Economics at Stanford University. He is the author of Inside the Black Box: Technology and Economics (CUP, 1983).

This book provides an impressive overview of emerging technologies, especially nanotechnologies and biotechnologies, and their prospective applications. It identifies and describes existing and potential markets for emerging technology-based applications, and projects scenarios for macroeconomic development based on these technologies. Integrated roadmaps for the development of a nano- and bioindustry are shown and policy measures and corporate strategies developed to advance these technologies. These measures are illustrated using roadmaps and policy case studies.The book combines a practical, comprehensive overview of the technical side of emerging technologies and their applications in various fields with an analysis of market developments and characteristics.

The contributors to this volume argue that investment in infrastructure, physical capital, and education is the key to economic development, providing that the IT content of these investments is high.

As technology advances, mobile devices have become more affordable and useful to countries around the world. As a result, mobile evolution has become an essential part of economic and social advancement. Mobile Technologies and Socio-Economic Development in Emerging Nations provides emerging research on the role of mobile devices as an important aspect of social and economic growth in developing countries. While highlighting topics, such as device authentication, mobile data management, and sensor services, this book explores how mobile devices have evolved to become an extremely useful tool. This book is a vital resource for academicians, researchers, students, practitioners, politicians, and professionals seeking current research on the uses, applications, and advantages of mobile services in increasing economic growth.