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UNCTAD’s Information Economy Report 2007-2008 (February 2008)
The Information Economy Report 2007-2008 - Science and technology for development : the new paradigm of ICT, analyses the current and potential contribution of information technology to knowledge creation and diffusion. It explores how ICTs help generate innovations that improve the livelihoods of the poor and support enterprise competitiveness. The report examines how ICTs affect productivity and growth and reflects on the need for a development-oriented approach to intellectual property rights in order to enable effective access to technology. ICT has also given rise to new models for sharing knowledge and collective production of ideas and innovations, known as "open access" models, which often bypass the incentive system provided by intellectual property rights.
The report addresses issues like the trends in ICT access and use in developing countries, the impact of ICT on productive efficiency and the role of governments in ICT deployment. In particular, ICTs for the poor are discussed within the scope of the increasing use of mobile telephones and supportive policy measures and the potential of telecentres to promote livelihoods by providing access to relevant information and business opportunities to rural and poor populations.
For further information : http://www.unctad.org
