The economy development of Taiwan was facing the bottleneck in the1990s. The government set forth knowledge-based economy which involves high-tech industrial programs in order to break through the bottleneck. Computer networks were used to encourage economy, to accelerate production efficiency, and to enhance Taiwan¡¦s international competitiveness. The ratio of R&D expenses and GDP was 2.06% in the year of 2000, was 2.54% in 2004, and went higher and higher every year. Though the goal of 3.0% R&D expenses and GDP rate in the year of 2010 was still pursuing, the investment expenses in R&D produced great innovation effect index. And the exceptional achievement was within 10th place in the world. The results of this study indicate that if the ratio of R&D expenses and GDP. could be increased to above 3.5%, the technical innovation ability will be accelerated and elevated by the knowledge diffusion effect. Therefore, Taiwan¡¦s international competitiveness could be raised up to within 5th place in the world. A sound and integral constitutional government system creates political and economical stability. And this kind of stability is essential to economic prosperity. Economic growth depends upon the developing of knowledge-based economy. Thus, the non-economic turmoil and anarchy which are likely to hinder the development of knowledge-based economy in nowadays Taiwan should be eliminated completely.

Introduction The innovation systems literature has provided a useful framework to analyse the linkages of firms and other organisations with both domestic and foreign actors. Although the concept of innovation systems was originally developed at the national level (Freeman, 1982; Nelson & Winter, 1982; Lundvall, 1985; Nelson, 1988, etc), the literature has expanded rapidly over the years. Since its origins innovation systems have been defined at different levels. National, regional, local, sectoral and technological systems of innovation now constituted alternative units of analysis to better understand the processes of creation, diffusion and use of knowledge. These different views, rather than conflicting, tend to complement each other and depend on the attributed boundaries to the system subject of analysis. This paper proposes that the reciprocal interaction between regional economic poles within the developing regions can be studied by employing systems of innovation perspective. The application of the systems of innovation perspective serves as a window to explore the quality of interactions in economic, education, productive activities and institutions. The importance of the regional dimension in stimulating the innovation capability and competitiveness of firms and regions has been examined by many authors (Asheim et al., 2003: Cooke, 2003, Wolfe, 2003, Isaksen, 2002, Malmberg and Maskell, 2002). The regional dimension is acquiring more relevance as the interactions between actors within the region become more intense. In the context of Africa, for example, the emergence of South Africa as an economic outlier in the region has created new challenges both opportunities and dangers for the rest of Africa. This paper suggests that a systems‟ of innovation perspective might be useful to examine how South Africa, as a regional pole in Africa, interacts with the region by sharing knowledge, learning and capacity building.

This thesis explores the state-labour nexus emerging out of the processes through which governing authorities have attempted to maintain or regain political stability and rates of accumulation in Malay(a)sia. Existing studies usefully highlight the extent to which repressive industrial relations legislation and ethnic communalism have weakened the trade union movement and segmented the labour force delivering the relative industrial peace attractive to foreign investors. Some suggest labour’s discontent at this repression has been successfully contained by Malaysia’s relatively strong economic performance. These approaches, however, only partially acknowledge the extent to which labour’s social reproduction under capitalist relations generates political and economic contradictions. After an initial failure to address these contradictions in the early post-colonial era, the Malay-dominated government has since developed avenues through which to deliver economic and cultural concessions in a selective and paternalistic fashion. This economic paternalism has contributed to social stability but has diverted funds from economic development and now runs contrary to structural reforms that seek to address Malaysia’s declining international competitiveness. The transition towards a knowledge-based economy, referred to locally as the k-economy, therefore embodies efforts by the political elite to contain political and societal tensions emerging out of the reform process. This thesis demonstrates and analyses the dynamic, contingent and uneven nature of these efforts as the government seeks to establish new bases of legitimacy more closely linked to household consumption concerns than ethnicity. Despite the relative absence of industrial disputation, labour’s location in Malaysia’s system of capitalism remains a contradictory one. Politically motivated social policies, although under pressure and likely to take new forms, will nonetheless remain pivotal in the attempt to resolve the tensions that threaten accumulation and political stability.

Faced with depleted oil stocks from 2035 onwards, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a strategy of becoming a more knowledge-based economy by indigenously exploiting transferred technologies. However, despite significant investment in university-based technology transfer and incubation facilities, there is little progress in establishing high-growth advanced technology companies outside of the oil sector. The thesis explores the commercialisation of university knowledge in university-based incubators in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and contrasting with arrangements in the UK, to identify the cause of low spinout rates and what can be done. Beginning with a systematic review of literature on innovation and entrepreneurship as it applies to commercialisation, the thesis identifies gaps and areas of controversy in the literature. From previous research an initial conceptual framework is developed to guide data gathering, its presentation and analysis. Using a qualitative method a sample of twenty-four Saudi interviews and eight UK interviews is justified. Significant new data on Saudi incubator policy, processes and outcomes is presented alongside new data from the UK. This is then analysed from an in-case and cross-case perspective and then re-integrated with literature. A revised conceptual framework is presented and conclusions for theory and practice drawn. The thesis adds to the multidisciplinary bodies of knowledge for example by updating Gerschenkron’s (1966) theory of catch-up, challenging the validity of Etzkowitz’s (1983) triple helix theory, and arguing that North’s (1990) neo-institutional theory is ethnocentric. I argue that culture is a major influence on commercialisation in developing countries and consciously changing cultures necessary for Saudi Arabia’s transition from a rentier state. I find little empirical evidence in either the UK or Saudi Arabia for theories (Shane 2004) of academic entrepreneurship. I conclude that major reforms of Saudi universities and commercialisation processes are necessary if the strategy is to contribute significantly towards diversification of the economy.

Broadband has revolutionised the way the Internet is used and has become the critical enabling infrastructure of our modem and knowledge-based economy. Its widespread introduction has not only greatly enhanced the speed at which information online can be accessed, but also the range and sophistication of the content available. It is still penetrating the telecommunication market and is seen by some as the most significant evolutionary step since the emergence of the Internet. However in the rush to achieve market share, there is a risk that insufficient attention may be paid to quality issues, the central theme of this research. The research addresses the issues of broadband quality with a stated objective of assessing broadband quality by means of an integrated framework that encompasses factors beyond strict technical characteristics of broadband networks. Indeed, the concept of quality is a multi-facetted one, for which various perspectives can be distinguished. In this work, broadband quality as perceived by users, ISP and Government in the United Kingdom (UK) is looked at and a survey report is given and analysed. The aim of this doctoral research was to provide much needed empirical broadband quality framework that would guide the service provider as well as the UK government in the provision of quality broadband to its consumers. It will also stand as a benchmark to countries wanting to provide quality broadband to its citizens. A survey research approach was employed to achieve the overall aim and objective of this research. This was conducted using the response of 133 participants located in various boroughs in the UK. The results of the survey show that quality, though desired by many, has been short-changed by the desire to have access to the Internet via broadband at the lowest cost possible. However, this has not encouraged some consumers to switch to broadband from dial-up service despite continuous low prices being offered by service providers. Furthermore, the results also indicated that focusing on broadband quality will improve and promote investment in broadband capacity and decrease the uncertainty in consumer demand for applications such as multi-media content delivery, enhanced electronic commerce and telecommuting that exploit broadband access.

This paper analyses an ongoing economization trend in the sphere of higher education (HE) and discusses its implications on higher education for sustainable development (HESD). The sources of this trend are connected with neoliberalism understood as a political project that seeks to extend competitive market forces, consolidate a market-friendly constitution, and promote individual freedom. In global HE neoliberalism, decision-makers, be it educational, scientific, or other, are pressured to assess how their activities impact financially on the individual, organizational, and institutional levels and/or the imperatives of an internationally competitive economy. The paper provides a contemporary analysis of the rise of neoliberalism in HE, understood as the specific trend of an academic capitalist knowledge/learning regime explained by Jessop's six analytic distinct and potentially overlapping stages of economization. This analysis is based on a review of European policies from 2006 until 2017 and explains characteristics of current economization strategies. Their core principles relating to higher education are about improving economic performance based on knowledge and innovation. Smart growth is defined politically as the main purpose of HE and positioning students as future workers, with the right higher skills, as the means. The relevance of students' skills higher education institutions (HEI) are urged to develop highly depend on business demands. European policies are driven by a comprehensive entrepreneurial agenda restructuring the organizational mechanisms in HE. Accountability towards the labour market and skills performance of students set this agenda. Funding strategies rest on strong industry ties and diversification of revenue streams depend on HEI capability to establish tech-driven knowledge alliances between research, education and business. These new intermediary and powerful alliances drive economization strategies, influence curriculum development and decide on relevant higher level skills. Respective learning practices are oriented strongly towards developing entrepreneurial and digital skills based on personalized learning environments. Currently HESD adapts towards a neoliberal education agenda rather than preventing further shifts from a capitalist towards a competitive financialized economy. A profound critique would have to question the dominant economization trends in higher education i.e. the very purpose of education and the current raison d¿etre of HEI. The core of the critique might build on new institutionalized learning environments allowing deep, social learning and, hence, the potential of HEI to act as social catalysts empowering collective and disruptive agency. / Series: SRE - Discussion Papers

Abstract This text, referred to the manpower survey data in 1991 & 2003 obtained from the Accounting & Statistics Department, is aimed at making a study of the trend on the switch of occupation before and after the rise of the Knowledge-based Economy Age. The employees, having experiences of switch, are chosen from the data of the Accounting & Statistic Department for ongoing intersecting analysis of before and after their switch. This research has found that the turnover of occupation/profession, within the time before development of the knowledge-based economy Age of 1991, has been prone to the mass-labor industries, such as traditional manufacture, construction and etc. Amid those labor mobility, industries which having failing net turnover rate of 2003, include the ones of ¡§Professional, Scientific and Technical services¡¨ and ¡§Cultural, Sporting and Recreational Services.¡¨ It shows that Taiwan is appropriate to a new market with reconstructed labor and reacts clearly in that the supply of employees were not quick enough to catch reshuffled employment market. Possessing the first and second place among those industries are that ¡§Technicians and related¡¨ and ¡§Machine Operators & Fabricator¡¨ that are failing on the net turnover rate, are well in parallel with two industries of ¡§Construction¡¨ & ¡§Real Estate and Rental and Leasing ¡§ that are keeping minus on the net turnover rate. Furthermore, it shows that the traditional mass-labor industries have entailed labor to flow outward massively. The labor released from swift labor restructure is the major reason what causing the massive number of unemployment in the labor market. In the past twelve years, the structure of occupation of Taiwan¡¦s employees is changed from mass-labor to mass-technique, and developed toward the service-industry steadily. The dominant phenomenon existing together in current labor market are that both unemployment and insufficiency of labor.

This thesis explores some possible approaches to better integration of archives with communities and engagement of archives with local community development initiatives. The study suggests that innovative usage of archival material can facilitate community engagement in the knowledge-based economy and support a broad range of community economic development initiatives. Archival public programming and the need for archivists to actively engage with existing and potential users is included in the discussion. Brandon, Manitoba is used as an example of a community that could benefit from the establishment of community archives.

This thesis explores some possible approaches to better integration of archives with communities and engagement of archives with local community development initiatives. The study suggests that innovative usage of archival material can facilitate community engagement in the knowledge-based economy and support a broad range of community economic development initiatives. Archival public programming and the need for archivists to actively engage with existing and potential users is included in the discussion. Brandon, Manitoba is used as an example of a community that could benefit from the establishment of community archives.

Dissertation presented for a Masters Degree in Development Studies in the Faculty of Humanities and School of Social Sciences, at the University of the Witwatersrand. 17 September 2014 / The manufacturing sector contributed to growth in the 20th century, which ultimately enhanced capabilities related to machinery and plants. However, towards the end of the 20th century, the manufacturing sector became less prominent as a catalyst for growth as the economy became increasingly bit-driven. A bit-driven or knowledge economy characterises the 21st century, where economic growth is created through the expansion of ideas and the enhancement of human capabilities (Evans, 2007). In order to analyse the requirements of economic growth in the 21st century, I relied on the New Growth theory and the capability approach of Amartya Sen. The capability approach reviews state policies in terms of its impact on developing its citizens’ capabilities, for instance, the ability to choose amongst Information and Communications Technology (ICT) courses at universities (Sen, 1990: 49). South Africa has several policies in place which acknowledge the importance of a knowledge-based economy. It has also referred to the efforts of the African National Congress (ANC) to build a Developmental State (DS). This research examined several policies aimed at creating a 21st century DS and asks whether they enhance the capabilities of citizens to partake in the knowledge economy. This paper looked at development during the industrialisation period (specifically after World War II). Here, economic growth was propelled through manufacturing. I drew on specific countries’ experiences such as Japan, Korea and Taiwan, which were 20th century DSs. However, as the 21st century approached, the industrial revolution was replaced with a knowledge-based economy (KBE). The 20th and 21st century DSs are linked in that the manufacturing sector in the latter DS needs the services sector as a catalyst for job creation and economic growth. Therefore the manufacturing industry needs to diversify to include the services sector (Zalk, 2014).