Knowledge, Information and economic growth.

 The term "knowledge-based economy" (KBE) captures the central place that knowledge and technology have in modern economies. The creation, transfer and application of knowledge are pillars of increased productivity, competitiveness and economic growth. Developing a KBE requires investments in intangible capital (R&D, Information and Communication Technology, and education) that often exceed the level of investments in fixed capital. Developing modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is a pre-requisite for countries and their citizens to participate in the KBE, based upon worldwide interdependency and connectivity. However, the success of a KBE economy depends primarily on people and, thus on comprehensive policies and investments in education and life-long learning to guarantee up-to-date skills jobs and to create and preserve employment.

Knowledge-based Economy and EU policy

The EU Strategy “Europe 2020”, launched in March 2010, extends the main objectives of the Lisbon Strategy (March 2000), making the European Union the most competitive economy in the world and achieving full employment by 2010. Out of the seven flagship initiatives put forward in “Europe 2020” to catalyse progress, three focus on furthering a Knowledge Economy:

–         "Innovation Union" to improve framework conditions and access to finance for research and innovation so as to ensure that innovative ideas can be turned into products and services that create growth and jobs.

–         "A digital agenda for Europe" to speed up the roll-out of high-speed internet and reap the benefits of a digital single market for households and firms.  

–         "An agenda for new skills and jobs" to modernise labour markets and empower people by developing their skills throughout the lifecycle with a view to increasing labour participation and better match labour supply and demand, including through labour mobility.

JASPERS Scope of work in the Knowledge Economy

The development of a Knowledge Economy is a priority in many of the new Member States’ National Development Strategies, with investments planned in infrastructures that propel R&D, Innovation, Human Capital Development, and ICT. Developing and making effective use of knowledge requires appropriate policies, institutions, investments, and coordination across all sectors that constitute Knowledge Economies. To better channel the technical expertise for these projects, JASPERS has created in 2010 a dedicated team to assist beneficiaries from the early stages of project conception through to the final application for EU funding.  Technical expertise can be provided in R&D-Infrastructures, Science and Technology Parks, Higher Educational and Vocational Training, Infrastructures for Specialized Healthcare and Information and Communication Technologies (including Broadband, Information Technologies, and e-Society projects).

Examples of JASPERS assignments:

1. Academic centres pre-clinical research in life sciences
2. Science and Technology Parks
3. Research Centres for Natural Sciences (nanotechnology, energy, laser technology)
4. Specialised, clinical hospitals  (e.g. in oncology care)
5. Broadband projects for rural areas.
6. Super-computing facilities