The process of global economy indicates that it moves from industrial economy toward knowledge-based one, but creating knowledge-based economy is a complex and multi-dimensional matter and it requires exact and accurate mechanism. This type of economy needs available and high quality educational facilities, communicative and informational infrastructures, systematic research and development, constant innovation, and organizational support.
Moving toward this type of economy is not merely knowledge-based products and services, but it also includes mechanism of internalization and institutionalization of knowledge and technology. Looking to the ranking of different countries in the field of knowledge-based economy, we consider that the most affluent countries are those that are based on knowledge-based economy. For instance, Scandinavian countries such as Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Luxembourg have the highest ranks in the field of knowledge-based economy. Generally, more than 50 percent of countries’ GDP is based on knowledge in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that encompasses major industrialized countries.
Knowledge-based economy has an important and key position in Asia that is the cradle of large developing economies. Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Taipei can be noted as successful instances in this region. Successful experience of South Korea teaches us how to create sustainable growth by combining skill and knowledge.
Yet, our country could not achieve to an ideal position in this field despite repeated emphasis of the Leader of Islam Revolution about paying attention to knowledge-based economy. General Resistance Economy policies issued by the Leader are one of the upstream documents in the field of knowledge-based economy. Another one is 1404 Perspective Document with an emphasis on software movement and science has predicted that Iran would obtain first economic, scientific, and technological position in the area of Southwest Asia including Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Middle East and neighboring countries. With all this emphasis, Iran ranked 94 among 145 countries in 2012, according to the World Bank and it does not seem that Iran have changed significantly in recent years while some countries in Asia and the Middle East have jumped increasingly in rankings of knowledge-based economies during 2000 to 2014. Thus, we are in the second half of 1404 Perspective Document, it is necessary to pay more attention to knowledge-based economy in all components of educational and learning, technological innovation, and their correspondence with ICT in order to pave the way for socio-economic development in the country more than before.
Seyyed Mohsen Tabatabaei Mozdabadi is the secretary of Iran Urban Economics Scientific Association.
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