nep-knm New Economics Papers
on Knowledge Management and Knowledge Economy
Issue of 2018‒12‒03
five papers chosen by
Laura Ştefănescu
Centrul European de Studii Manageriale în Administrarea Afacerilor

  1. Scaling of Atypical Knowledge Combinations in American Metropolitan Areas from 1836 to 2010 By Lars Mewes
  2. Innovation policies in the digital age By Dominique Guellec; Caroline Paunov
  3. Making ideas work for society: University cooperation in knowledge transfer By Ritzen, Jo
  4. Leave No One Behind: How are Development Assistance Committee members answering the pledge of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development? By Beatrice Di Francesco; Ida McDonnell
  5. Intergenerational digital activity: A good mixture of education and welfare By Mabrouka EL HACHANI; Christine DEVELOTTE

  1. By: Lars Mewes
    Abstract: Cities are epicenters for invention. Scaling analyses have verified the productivity of cities and demonstrate a super-linear relationship between cities? population size and invention performance. However, little is known about what kinds of inventions correlate with city size. Is the productivity of cities only limited to invention quantity? We shift the focus on the quality of idea creation by investigating how cities influence the art of knowledge combination. Atypical combinations introduce novel and unexpected linkages between knowledge domains. They express creativity in inventions and are particularly important for technological breakthroughs. Our study of 174 years of invention history in metropolitan areas in the United States (US) reveals a super-linear scaling of atypical combination with population size. The observed scaling grows over time indicating a geographic shift towards cities since the early 20th century. The productivity of large cities is thus not only restricted to quantity, but also includes quality in invention processes.
    Keywords: Atypical Knowledge Combination, Cities, Historic Patent Data, Invention; Scaling Analysis
    JEL: O30 O31 O33 R11
    Date: 2018–11
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:egu:wpaper:1841&r=knm
  2. By: Dominique Guellec (OECD); Caroline Paunov (OECD)
    Abstract: This paper looks at how digitalisation is transforming innovation, and the consequent need for innovation policies to adapt. The paper shows that the digital transformation affects the economics of information and knowledge, in particular pricing and allocation. The reduced costs of producing and handling information and knowledge and the increased fluidity change innovation dynamics. Data have become a core input for innovation. Other changes include more opportunities for versioning; an acceleration in innovation, more experimentation and collaboration; servitisation; and higher risk associated with these general purpose technologies. The digital transformation also has economy-wide effects in terms of business dynamics, market structures and distribution. In view of this transformation, changes to innovation policy are required in the digital age. Innovation policies need to address data access issues; become more agile; promote open science, data sharing and co-operation among innovators; and review competition for innovation and intellectual property policy frameworks.
    Keywords: acceleration of innovation, digital innovation, digital technologies, economics of knowledge and information, innovation policy, market structures, servitisation
    JEL: L20 O31 O33
    Date: 2018–11–13
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:stiaac:59-en&r=knm
  3. By: Ritzen, Jo (UNU-MERIT)
    Abstract: Sustainable economic growth is more brought about by ideas, knowledge and human capital than by physical capital, like machines, buildings or land. Universities are one of the sources of ideas and of human capital. We focus on the third function of universities, next to education and research, in particular on knowledge transfer. Knowledge transfer is highly visible in agglomerations like Silicon Valley. Many countries nowadays have strategies to step up knowledge transfer as a source of sustainable economic growth. Knowledge is recognised to have its strongest potential impact close to the place where it is generated. This makes a university attractive to the region in which it is located. The university contributes to sustainable economic growth not only through the expenditures associated with the running of the university, but perhaps more by the knowledge transfer. This involves amongst others partnerships with business. Knowledge transfer does not come by itself. It requires action and strategy on the part of the university, the region and local public or private actors (businesses and public organisations). It appears that US and UK top-universities are more prominent not only in realising cooperation with business, but also among each other.
    Keywords: Knowledge transfer, innovation, public-private collaboration, university-business cooperation, triple helix
    JEL: I21 I25 O31 O32 O33 O34
    Date: 2018–11–09
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unm:unumer:2018042&r=knm
  4. By: Beatrice Di Francesco; Ida McDonnell
    Abstract: In 2015, UN Member States and the international community more broadly endorsed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Agenda’s commitment to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals for everyone to leave no one behind. This working paper presents and analyses the findings of a survey circulated to members of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) between April and May 2018. The survey investigated the level and extent of commitment to leave no one behind in development co-operation policies, strategies and programming. It also gathered views and evidence from DAC members about the comparative advantage, opportunities, challenges and strategies for answering this pledge of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The findings presented in this paper inform the analysis of the 2018 Development Co-operation Report: Joining Forces to Leave No One Behind.
    Keywords: 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, DAC members, Disaggregated Data, Donor, Equity, Inclusive, Inequality, Least developed countries, Leave no one behind, Multidimensional poverty, ODA, OECD, SDG, Sustainable Development Goals, United Nations, Vulnerability
    JEL: C80 F50 F53 F55 H1 H4 H8
    Date: 2018–11–28
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:dcdaaa:47-en&r=knm
  5. By: Mabrouka EL HACHANI (Université Jean Moulin Lyon3 - Laboratoire ELICO); Christine DEVELOTTE (ENS de Lyon - Laboratoire ICAR)
    Abstract: The context of this presentation is the ITAC research project[1], a scientific collaboration between the ICAR and the ELICO research teams and Lyon?s Public Library (BML). Its aim is to study the intergenerational use of digital artifacts at the BML. ITAC focuses on the relational, linguistic, and educational aspects resulting from the interactions. Our study centers on the interactions between a grandmother and her grandson discovering together the games provided on an interactive table. It is also a question of studying the way in which the grandmother transmits to her grandson the manipulative knowledge of communication with the screen. Through a methodological framework inspired by comprehensive ethology (Cosnier, 2001), the analysis will show how both participants benefit from such an activity when it is properly lead by a mediator. In terms of education, the results show that both participants enhanced their digital literacy. In terms of welfare, the senior gets involved in the digital entertainment environment at the same time as she plays with her grandson. It informs us of her degree of appropriation of digital uses. This ease of communication with the screens limits the speeches constantly highlighting the difficulties of seniors to be comfortable with these new technologies. Cosnier. J., 2001. « Entretien avec Jacques Cosnier », Communication et organisation [En ligne], 19 | 2001, mis en ligne le 27 mars 2012, consulté le 08 août 2018. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/communicationorganisation/2537 ; DOI : 10.4000/communicationorganisation.2537 [1] https://impec.sciencesconf.org/resource/ page?id=44&forward-action=page&forward-c ontroller=resource&lang=en
    Keywords: Search ; learning ; information and knowledge, Communication, belief
    JEL: I00 D83 C71
    Date: 2018–11
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:7310336&r=knm

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