KNOWLEDGE
DRIVEN ECONOMY
Paolo Manzelli <LRE@UNIFI.IT>
<What is the relationship between
Knowledge Management and Knowledge Driven Economy?>
The
paper would like to contribute to :
1)· define Knowledge Society in
the contemporary context of knowledge driven economy;
2) · examine the key-forces behind
the knowledge driven economy;
3) · consider the opportunities on
“e.govern policy” changes in a comparative European perspective
4) · identify areas
Research/Actions for the "mental change" , FP6 –CITIZEN 3 project
proposal
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1) -
Knowledge Society development obviously does not simply consist in a
specialised research area where a closed academic science intranet
growth and also do not mean a simple transfer of information and
technology that can be written down and communicated by mass-media or
transmitted by a consultant approach to the industry.
The
so called “codified” knowledge today get a limit in the paradox of the
“Non-additivity” of knowledge growing in Society that means there is
not an infinite linear expansibility of knowledge growth. As a matter of
facts the effective incorporation of the understanding of knowledge
growth in Society is depending by the efficient integration of the
knowledge in the citizen understanding and as a direct consequence in
the organization of the appropriated division of labour getting an more
and more qualified work- productivity.
Therefore the diffusion and exploitation of integrated embodied
knowledge in the changing citizen mentality , may be just as important
as the creation of new knowledge in the contest of the Knowledge Driven
Society. (KDS)
In
contemporary European development the KDS can be optimised on the way
of the process that see a continuos extension of the frontiers of
Europe till the proper geographical and historical limits . In fact this
European recent strategy acts as well as an integration of Knowledge and
Development; so that the fundamental consequence is that European KDS
will assume a different aspect in respect to the past of industrial
society, because the last generally it will be based on a National
approach of socio-economic development.
To
define the conditions of the development of European KDS it is also
important to underline the following distinction : a) in the industrial
society knowledge capital is embodied more in advanced technologies
through the transfer of knowledge into a push bottom productive
technology , and not too much in cultural understanding of citizen ;
b) in the post industrial Knowledge Economy the Knowledge Capital need
to be more oriented to implement the cultural- democratic approach
through an “e.democracy” strategy, for giving to the citizen the real
opportunity to be protagonist with an more direct power on the
developmental choices and preferences.
Acting in this new way for enhancing the European KDS the incorporation
of integrated and shared knowledge, the knowledge progress will not
conduct simply to an a linear acquisition of knowledge, but the factual
results will be more directed on a change in ways of thinking about the
future productive socio-economic development of Europe, that will be
more useful for enhancing human resource potential in the context of an
effective development of the post-industrial Knowledge Society.
2)-
The focus of this “mental change” approach will be consolidated on
the growing of "quality of the production" ; as a matter of facts the
“Quality of Product and Processes” is in an indicator of the
competitive ability to grow up the added value of production in the
international market ; for instance the environmental quality and safety
standard defines a most impotent piece of the growth of competitiveness
of the world wide knowledge driven economy.
Therefore assuming a different way of thinking in respect to the past
development of industrial society · the key-forces behind the knowledge
driven economy are powerfully depending not only by the generation of
new RTD Knowledge, but also by the strength of exploitation of
Knowledge Management ; in fact Knowledge Management Innovation has
become to play the predominant part in the creation of the more
effective use and exploitation of all types of knowledge in all manner
of productive activity.
In
the near future the four structural forces that will be connected with
the Knowledge Management ability to driving economic transformation,
will be a consequence of the development of “e. learning” facilities
oriented to understand the best practices of KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY
developed in local developmental context , in a way that will became
possible to grow up a critical mass of shared European knowledge by
means a long distance applications of communications technology . As a
matter of facts KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT focused on ITC learning
innovation permits the expansiveness of the sharing of knowledge; the
proliferation of knowledge products, the rapid scientific and
technological advance; the increasingly global competition; and the
growing up of citizen's scientific and cultural understanding, that
strongly contribute to the shifting consumer demand of the quality of
production, giving a fundamental and particular attention to the
environmental sustainability and the human safety.
The
contemporary tendency of the Knowledge Driven Economy (KDE)
as a consequence yields some implications for economic performance of
the industrial productive structure that enhance the nature of growth in
the so called “Weightless Economy”
The
failure of central planning of any single enterprise based only on the
cash flow of business is an example of the impact of the KDE on the
industrial structure that need to be able to promote clustering of
enterprises in network with RDT centres and Governmental Institutions,
to reply to the needs of innovative knowledge management, that will be
able to take in consideration the evolution of the “Quality of Products
and Processes” that is become the fundamental indicator of the global
market and marketing competitiveness. As a matter of facts the major
contemporary best practices of KDE get a point of convergence in the
recent restructuring of centrally planned economies, towards
decentralised networking economies. Many “Extended
Enterprises” are becoming today successful “multi-enterprises and
Institution corporations”, locating themselves around centres of RTD
excellence in different countries in Europe.
All
these changes have made the focal point of the Knowledge Management
Innovation as well as the more important assurance as an innovative
Knowledge management able to drive of competitive advantage and to be a
source of economic growth in the context of the contemporary European
Extension In turn the transformation of the nature of competition
generate a need the development of a “Mental Change” strategic plan
for all the following categories of workers :
· enterprise’s managers - who have
to think far more about realising advantage through knowledge ;
· employees - who need to change
the skills and to learn for adjusting the their working ability
· investors and financiers - who
need to recognise and to assess the value of “intangible assets”
· policy makers - who must create
a climate conducive to success to the competitive new challenges created
by the ITC –business application to a wider exploitation of new
products and processes.
This
deep need of “Mental Change” can avoid the pernicious recourse to
obsolete political and economical points of view, that today
drastically conduct to some great fallacies in much contemporary
economic decisions. As a matter of facts is a pity that till now
obsolete way of political thinking, find their conceptual bases from
a traditional believing to an obsolete culture of the past development
of the industrial society ; therefore, thinking in this oldest way
policy decisions sometimes do not understand the expansion the of the
knowledge driven economy that will create a proliferation of material,
firms and activities by means an expansion of networking enterprises
that connect industry with centres of RTD and Governmental Local
Institutions, into a proliferation of Knowledge Society activities,
shifting the scale factors of economy and as a direct consequence the
competitive advantages in the context of a Knowledge Sharing and
Networking Economy.
3) -The
Management for Government Policy has a central role of institutional and
cultural change in the creation of a new knowledge based economy, this
because the Governmental Institution are elected by citizen; therefore
they need to co-ordinate the adjustment of the territorial business
strategies, within the goal of the vital problem of the new employment
creation, in a way that is be possible for the Governmental
Institution, to drive the local economic competitiveness from the
territorial level forward the macro-economy wider European level..
In
the near future the growing importance of knowledge sharing of best
practices and human capital resources labour assessment, can give in a
long term perspective to the Governmental Institution. a renovate
societal power, able to develop an efficient European strategy of
Knowledge Economy , based on an increasing importance of knowledge,
creativity and skills of people.
Therefore is changing the strategic way by means policy makers of
Governmental Institution can contribute to develop a new economic
equilibrium in the Knowledge Economy dynamics of transformation, by
means accrossing the impact of the three fundamental socio-economical
factors : e.g. solidarity ,delocalisation and
globalization processes.
4) ·
- Premise: Research and foresight for
the development of Knowledge Economy in a wider European Society .-
Scientific and Technological Objectives of the -Integrated Project. On
the general issue: <Mental-Change >-FP6 -
CITIZEN-3 Integrated Project . See Search for partners in:
http://www.chim1.unifi.it/group/education/pin/tasti3/progetto_mental.htm
-
In
view of the complexity of the contemporary relations between science and
society, there is a real need for multidisciplinary research (RTD) and
prospective on ITC studies, in order to facilitate not only a better
understanding of citizen of the different interactions between science
and society that need to be grow up for the development of the European
KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY, but also to enhance the ability to respond to
emerging crises and questions of the global market for the sustainable
integrated development of European SME's in a wider Europe strategy.
Given the scale and nature of the innovative networking issues of
sharing knowledge that need to be covered in a creative manner of
Information Technology of Communication, it would clearly be
advantageous to proceed to an European comparison of changing the
socio-economic interaction patterns between "advanced research &
productive work" for improving “e.govern innovation” through the direct
partnership local ( National or Regional) Governmental Institution and
to understand and to act in a way to promote a large impact on citizen
dialogue on this fundamental topics presented by each country-partner
of M-Change proposal. .
Broad goals on Science & Society
issues.
-
First of all, the M-Change Project it is intended to strongly support
the strategic goal set by the European Union in Lisbon of becoming by
2010 the most competitive and dynamic Knowledge-Based Economy in the
world.
-
The project M-Change it is also part of the process of creating and
strengthening the European Research Area (ERA) , through the production
of creative integrated knowledge to implement the SME's Competitiveness
in Europe.
-
Thirdly, the M-Change project it is intended to contribute to
implementing Citizen's debate on the future of the KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY
in an extension of Europe, to give an " e.democracy" and "e.learning"
approach for growing an dynamic and flexible new networking
Entrepreneurship in a Trans European dimension.
More
specific objectives of M-Change action plan will be :
--> Putting responsible science
growth at the heart of "e.govern" policy making
--> Bring science innovative,
policies closer to citizens by ITC interactive Communication
For
those objectives the project M-Change will be subdivided in some
“sub-projects” oriented to develop Regional or National comparative RTD
studies and promoting various interactive dialogues on “Science and
Society” for improving Knowledge Economy in the wider Europe dimension.
The
Regional or National “virtual communities or
stakeholder’s grouping” ( or also for specific issues
Transnational networks: for instance
Food Quality Traceability) ) are well suited to promote comparative
European studies as well as the “science and society” dialogue, where
the topics proposed by the project partnership , will be of direct
interest to citizens and focused on the general issue of the European
Knowledge Driven Economy cognitive and actuative advancement.
Hence to fulfil those goals
and objectives the FP6.-CITIZEN-3 proposal it will be centred on the
need to develop a “Mental Change “ approach , especially about the
issues regarding the sustainable development of networking
entrepreneurship among RTD innovation and SMEs Competitiveness ( i.e.
favouring for instance “e.work flexibility” , “e.learning on the job
innovation” , “environmental economy”, “gender equality in science and
society”…. an so on)
It
would be desirable that each “sub-project” corresponds to the promotion
of a “Virtual Community” of to favor the participation by scientists
and SMEs operators and Citizen in forums and hearings, that will be
organized , at Regional or National levels ( or Inter –Regional
,particularly cross-border or trans-national level), where some
particular issues are also of pan-European interest.
The organization inter
regional or inter-national “science and society” forums, oriented to
improve the European Knowledge Driven Economy, will be encouraged, inter
alia through the development of a database listing scientists with
communication skills by appropriated partnership well expert in making
information more accessible by means “e.Ediction” and “e.learning on
demand” dissemination practices presented through WEB-PORTALLS written
in diverse European Languages.
Object: "State of the Art" – Notes for the
potential partnership.
Ø
It is important for each potential
partner to look carefully to the "Guide of Proposers" :
Ø
in http://www.cordis.lu/fp6/calls/citizen
, >, where is requested that each partner need to prepare a
description of the "state-of-the-art" in relation to the proper
country, about the change improved by the European strategy to develop
Knowledge Economy.
This
can be done applying methods to identify current economic conditions,
aiming to assess the successive description of the key action of the
M-Change Working plan proposals, for improving an "e.government"
innovative strategy in favor of the development of future European
Knowledge Driven Economy. Therefore each partner need to build up a
"survey-analysis" around a careful and thoughtful approach to
distinguish (a), the old industrial society condition of development ,
from (b), the potential economic impact of the future European
Knowledge Economy .
This
beyond indicated distinction, is a initial requirement to be done by
each partner , aiming to describe the successive forecasting about the
needs of "Mental Change" in “e.govern innovation” oriented to develop
strategic choices and actions, based on the identification of economic
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and
Threats (SWOT) in a Regional
inter-regional or National or Transnational thematic new look of
strategic reinforcement of European Research Area ( ERA).
Al
last but not at least partners can suggest some aspects of their Action
/Research sub-projects
on
their local opportunities to contribute to the European Knowledge driven
Development.
For
instance partners can be taken into consideration, ( looking at the
more complete overcoming of the obsolete criteria of development of the
industrial society ) some of the following issues::
- Growth and increasingly value of
“Weightless Economies” ( through new relationship between tangible and
intangible added value to quality of production)
- Networking Extended Enterprises
aggregation into a Business Strategy of Knowledge Economy
-
Knowledge change and Technological ITC innovation in
contemporary KDE.
- e.Education innovative
strategies as well as for instance: on the job long distance training
addressed to implementing Knowledge Economy understanding ( particular
contents in this field will be : Gender Equality , Ethics and
Environmental values in Knowledge Economy , conception and criticisms on
intellectual property European regulation .. and so on)
- Stakeholder's Clusters and
Virtual Community development in favor of SME's competition policy in
the context of the European Knowledge Economy.
Concluding remarks
-
Significant social changes are being driven by
the European Knowledge Economy.
Therefore there is the possibility for a new economic growth which is
potentially unbounded because of the nature of an extended advanced
knowledge economy applications using ITC advanced methodologies , that
will be very different from the role applied to knowledge in the
obsolete industrial growth.
Therefore the MENTAL CHANGE proposal will be to realise an important
contribute to the KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY developing and comminicating by ITC
methods , post industrial growth theories and best practices .
Following those considerations
goals and objectives the “Mental Change” FP6- project, promoted by of
LRE/EGO-CreaNET of the University of Florence Italy , would like to
aggregate interactive and proactive research teams and industrial
partnership in collaboration with Governmental Institutions , to
develop a “collaborative intelligence
management” , aiming to give an important result , in the
development of new way of thinking in Knowledge Economy application , to
furthering understanding and practising the contemporary European
strategy on Knowledge Economy .
In
conclusion : the project Proposal M-Change
will be of a vital importance for the contemporary business
sustainability, if the partnership consortium, will be able to share
innovative knowledge for re-vitalising the old industrial cognitive ,
in a new way of developmental thought that need to be appropriated to
the future European Knowledge Economy growth..
Firenze 8/AUG./2003 .
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