| |
 |
 |
| Knowledge Economy Panel |
|
On October 9, 2003 ARC Fund and the World Bank Sofia Office jointly organized a panel discussion on “Knowledge Economy – from Theory to Policy and Practice”. The discussion was chaired by Ms. Dinka Dinkova, Program Director of ARC Fund and featured presentations by Mr. Tsvetan Manchev, Executive Director of the Agency for Economic Analyses and Forecasts, Mr. Georgi Kourtev, Communications Officer at the World Bank – Sofia Office, and Mr. Ruslan Stefanov, Economic Program Coordinator at the Center for the Study of Democracy.
Panel members discussed the opportunities and barriers for developing a knowledge-based economy in Bulgaria, the implications for the government and business community, as well as the need for adopting an innovation policy that encourages and supports entrepreneurial activity. The discussion departed from the World Bank’s definition of a “knowledge economy” as one that is supported by four major pillars:
An economic and institutional regime that provides incentives for efficiently creating, acquiring, disseminating, and using knowledge to promote growth and increase welfare.
An effective innovation system, including a system of research centers, universities, think tanks, consultants, firms and other organizations that can tap into growing stock of global knowledge, assimilate it and adapt it to local needs, and create new knowledge.
A dynamic information and communication infrastructure that facilitates the effective dissemination and processing of information.
An educated and well-trained population that can create, acquire, disseminate and use knowledge.
The discussion was part of the European Day of the Entrepreneur - an EU-wide initiative which unites the efforts of various parties for developing innovations and innovative enterprises by taking advantage of the best ideas and good practices of local and European partners. The Sofia event was held under the patronage of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Mrs. Lydia Shouleva.
For more information about the European Day of the Entrepreneur, go to this website:
http://www-it.fmi.uni-sofia.bg/ede/home.html
Useful materials on KE are available at the Development Gateway portal:
http://www.developmentgateway.org/node/130667/ (in English) and
http://www.bgrazvitie.net/bg/150/ (in Bulgarian)
|
|
|
|
Search 
