8,233 research outputs found

    Technological change and international competitiveness: the case of Switzerland.

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    The paper presents the preliminary results of a research project on the relationship between technological and trade performance with a special focus on Switzerland. The analysis is based on two sources of data: a dataset based on patent applications by firms from major industrialized countries to the European Patent Office (EPO) and a data set on export flows of OECD countries (IMPEX database). For both datasets, the period of time is 1980-1992. The analysis is carried out both for the whole aggregate of manufacturing sectors (WS49) and for a subsample of high-tech sectors (HT49). In the first part of the paper, the relationship between trade and technological variables is analyzed descriptively using indexes of technological (RTA) and trade specialization (RCA). Then, in the second part of the paper, the relationship between trade and technological specialization is analyzed using econometric techniques and exploiting the information contained in the datasets along three dimensions: country, sector, time. Finally, sectoral and geographical patterns of innovative activities are analyzed for the case of Switzerland. The paper broadly confirms the existence of a positive relationship between technological and trade specialization. Such relationship is also stable over time. However, the relationship is not very strong and it holds differently across countries.

    2008 State New Economy Index: Benchmarking Economic Transformation in the States

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    Scores and ranks states' economic structures on their competitiveness in the New Economy, as measured by the prominence of knowledge jobs, globalization, economic dynamism, transformation to a digital economy, and capacity for technological innovation

    The Bulgarian economy - April 2005

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    AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SELECTED PRODUCTIVITY LITERATURE

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    "This paper annotates and cites literature that is relevant to...agricultural productivity analysis...[includes] agricultural productivity studies for all countries dating back to World War II."Productivity Analysis,

    Development Through Electronic Networks: Information and Communication Technologies in Africa

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    Developing countries and modern information and communication technologies (ICTs): How do they go together? This often-discussed, but rarely examined in detail topic is dealt with in this book, primarily on the basis of sub-Saharan Africa, a world region with considerable obstacles to development. The focus is on internet use, which is particularly prerequisite-rich. In fact, the hurdles for a development-promoting use of modern ICTs and especially the internet are still very high there. The results of the study, which is rich in material and for which research was also carried out on site, not only point to the potential of ICT for development, but also show that internet use in sub-Saharan Africa is already diverse and is currently developing dynamically. There are considerable opportunities and needs for an expansion of the information society in this region of the world, not only with regard to the fields that are the focus of the study (democratisation, economy, education and research). Proposals on how to react to this politically and promote development through networking form another focus of the volume

    Investigating the potential of renewable energy in community-based disaster risk reduction and development

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    In recent years, there has been growing interest in community hazard resilience and sustainable development at the local level. Initiatives that accord with the principles of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction increasingly frame community resilience research and programming. However, there has been little research to date exploring energy and water hazard management within remote communities. Such research is an important element in progressing sustainable development at the local level - understanding community views, priority needs and solutions that are feasible and sustainable in their context. Humanitarian engineering is an appropriate vehicle for translating these views into proposed solutions and offers substantial benefits to interventions for sustainable development and disaster resilience. Community-centered initiatives for off-grid renewable energy generation and flood response at the local level have the potential to support community hazard management and socio-economic growth. To do so effectively, they must support genuine community engagement and stakeholder synergies. The current study examined energy and flood response needs in riparian communities in Nepal and Greece and identified specific options which could be co-developed and sustained in these contexts. Paper I presents evidence-informed technical criteria for the development of off-grid renewable energy and early warning hybrid systems, and more specifically, small-scale hydropower generators combined with flood warning systems. Paper II is a scoping review of the literature examining riparian communities in low and lower middle-income countries, and their use of off-grid renewable energy and flood warning systems. Paper III presents a review of the extant literature regarding best practice community engagement for localised renewable energy systems and flood early warning systems. Paper IV details an exploratory investigation of community vulnerability and capability mapping that identifies communities with high water-based disaster risk and their associated needs. Paper V presents a mixed method approach for humanitarian and development research engagement that allows the collection of information from both professionals and non-experts remotely. Paper VI is informed by the previous studies (Papers I – V) and presents findings from our research on flood response and energy needs of two riparian communities in Nepal and Greece. The findings indicate combined functions are favoured and that the co-development of a hybrid unit for hydropower generation and flood warning is preferred compared to single-use market available options. The remote research approach (detailed in Paper V) supported effective participant engagement and data collection despite pandemic restrictions
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