"Innovation is central to the development of successful economies. Less-favored countries and regions are often those that lack the capacity to innovate and, consequently, that lack the ability to improve their positions in today's competitive global market. Capacity to innovate helps countries and regional groupings achieve advantageous positions in key industrial and service sectors. Research, development and innovation (RDI) networks designed to promote innovative inputs can secure competencies in areas of expertise unattainable by individual countries and institutions. Furthermore, RDI networks play a significant role in securing a critical mass of both human and financial resources, particularly given the increased importance of multidisciplinary approaches and demand for higher resource levels linked to tangible impacts. Increasing sophistication of the research and development (R and D) enterprise is reflected in the cost of equipment and consumables, which renders R and D activities an expensive business whose costs are better shared among as many concerned partners as possible."--Publisher's description.

Science, Technology, Innovation, and Economic Growth in Arab Countries explores fresh approaches to STI policy formulation and implementation in the region, with applications to developing countries elsewhere. Developing useful contexts for studying Arab policies about science, technology, and innovation requires trustworthy data and judgment. Omar Bizri brings together both in this book. Data from sources such as the World Bank, UNESCO, the International Telecommunication Union, Nature, Science and recent surveys and policy formulation initiatives anchor this study among national initiatives that focus on essential needs, including safe water and food production, renewable energy utilization, and job and enterprise creation. For those eager to understand the challenges of STI capacity building, this book explores the many connections between technological change and economic growth. Presents and analyzes data about past, current and proposed efforts aimed at STI capacity building in Arab countries Emphasizes demand-driven policies for promoting rapid infrastructure and endogenous STI capacity building, as well as job creation Explores ways to enhance STI capacity building efforts through community-based and national initiatives Includes data from sources such as the World Bank, UNESCO, the International Telecommunication Union, Nature, Science and recent surveys

The wave of protests and populist uprisings in the Middle East has heightened the focus on a volatile region. But the emphasis on political issues has obscured underlying issues concerning education, infrastructure, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainable economic and social development. This volume, emerging in the aftermath of a conference and workshop on science and technology in the region, presents contributions from a range of experts from the Middle East, Europe, and the United States to provide fresh new insights and perspectives on the challenges and prospects for regional development in the changing global context of our time. The authors explore such topics as: the role of information and communication technologies; mindset change in support of investment in intangible assets and risk-taking; how to approach cultural issues, institutions and governance; collaborations with other regions, and; benchmarking performance while drawing lessons of relevance for the special local context. Ultimately, they offer a number of precise policy recommendations and practical insights for creating an enabling environment for capturing economic, political, and social opportunity.

Industry clusters promote innovation in the Arab World, through collaboration among businesses, research institutions, and governments. Benefits include the creation and sharing of knowledge, professional networking, access to spill-over knowledge, and specialized talent pools.

Technology Diffusion and Adoption: Global Complexity, Global Innovation discusses the emerging topics of information technology and the IT based solutions in global and multi-cultural environments. This comprehensive collection addresses the aspects of innovation diffusion in the field of business computing technologies and is essential for researchers, practitioners, academicians and educators all over the world.

The Arab region has become a hotbed of economic growth in recent decades. While this growth has indisputably brought in wealth, there are still countless questions about the characteristics, constraints, and implications of the region's systems of innovation. Do these systems even exist in the Arab region? How does the current economic structure affect regional innovation? Is the presence of natural resources a help or a hindrance? Economic Systems of Innovation in the Arab Region discusses the causes, consequences, and implications of poor systems of innovation in the Middle East and North Africa. By examining the comparative weakness of innovation, the economic structure, and the diversity of the region, Nour shows that the development of Arab regional systems of innovation is contingent upon the development of adequate economic policies and incentives in the area. Her contribution is key for students and scholars of economics, innovation, and international relations.