Search results

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders have recognised the importance of knowledge to future economic growth and development and, as a consequence, have taken steps to ensure that APEC economies build and share expertise in the knowledge sector. In order to address this goal, the APEC Economic Committee initiated the ‘Towards knowledge-based economies in APEC’ project (KBE project) in mid-1999, to provide the analytical base for promoting the effective use of knowledge and its creation and dissemination among APEC economies. Workshops were held in Seoul, Korea in June 1999 and in June 2000. Research was undertaken by Australia, Canada and Korea on the following topics: (1) assessing the preconditions for developing knowledge infrastructure; (2) examining the policy environment required to expand the knowledge base; and (3) examining potential areas of APEC cooperation for the promotion of knowledge-based economies (KBEs). This summary report draws on the workshops and the research findings to assess how far some APEC economies have progressed towards becoming KBEs. Seven case study economies were chosen to represent four clusters of APEC economies: most developed economies (Australia and Canada); high performing Asian economies (Singapore and Korea); Asian fast-growing economies (Thailand and the Philippines); and Latin American economies (Chile). The various aspects of KBE development are analysed in terms of four dimensions: innovation system; human resource development; information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure; and business environment. The report examines policies for promoting the development of a KBE in the case studies and identifies the potential for cooperation in promoting KBEs in APEC. Three action recommendations for cooperative development of KBEs are proposed: the establishment of a ‘knowledge clearinghouse’ to facilitate information exchange; the development of ‘igniting policies’ for triggering the transition to a KBE; and the inclusion of ‘KBE status indicators’ in the APEC Economic Committee’s ‘Economic outlook’.