Software-export strategies for developing countries: A Caribbean perspective

The globalization of the software industry is seen to be driven in part by skill shortages in industrialised economies, the movement of software development practices away from centralised to more distributed modes and the spread of information and communication technologies to less developed economies, where skilled labour is available at lower costs. As such, a software export industry is sometimes seen as a means by which some non-industrialised countries can create competitive advantage. While many studies have explored the software-exporting strategies used by the more successful of these countries, little research has been done in other locations that lack some of the basic resources deemed necessary for success in this area. This paper describes two Caribbean software-outsourcing ventures in order to explore possible software-export strategies available within such atypical contexts. The role of government and degree of integration of the software outsourcer into the local context are found to feature significantly

International Creative Product Exchange

The aim of this paper is to analyze and evaluate international trade in creative products with respect to the position of Poland in this exchange. In the introduction some definitions of creative industries and the concept of creative economy are presented. Then the classification of creative products in international trade and some problems with collecting data relating to international trade in creative products are discussed. In further work an empirical analysis of international trade in creative products is carried out. This work is divided into two parts. The aim of the first part is to indicate main tendencies and key players in international creative products exchange. The aim of the second part is to analyze the position of Poland in this exchange. The empirical analysis is based on the first database and report relating to international creative products exchange, published in 2008 by UNCTAD.Celem publikacji jest analiza międzynarodowego handlu produktami kreatywnymi, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem pozycji Polski w tej wymianie. Na początku przedstawione są definicje kreatywnych produktów/ przemysłów oraz koncepcja gospodarki kreatywnej. Następnie omówiona jest klasyfikacja produktów kreatywnych w statystykach handlu międzynarodowego oraz problemy związane ze zbieraniem danych dotyczących międzynarodowego handlu produktami kreatywnymi. W dalszej pracy przeprowadzona jest analiza empiryczna międzynarodowej wymiany produktami kreatywnymi. Ta część pracy podzielona została na dwie części. Celem pierwszej części jest wskazanie głównych tendencji oraz najważniejszych uczestników międzynarodowej wymiany produktami kreatywnymi. Natomiast celem drugiej części jest analiza pozycji Polski w tej wymianie. Analiza empiryczna oparta jest na pierwszej bazie danych oraz raporcie dotyczących międzynarodowej wymiany produktami kreatywnymi, opublikowanych w 2008 roku przez UNCTAD

Governance of Dual-Use Technologies: Theory and Practice

The term dual-use characterizes technologies that can have both military and civilian applications. What is the state of current efforts to control the spread of these powerful technologies—nuclear, biological, cyber—that can simultaneously advance social and economic well-being and also be harnessed for hostile purposes? What have previous efforts to govern, for example, nuclear and biological weapons taught us about the potential for the control of these dual-use technologies? What are the implications for governance when the range of actors who could cause harm with these technologies include not just national governments but also non-state actors like terrorists? These are some of the questions addressed by Governance of Dual-Use Technologies: Theory and Practice, the new publication released today by the Global Nuclear Future Initiative of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The publication's editor is Elisa D. Harris, Senior Research Scholar, Center for International Security Studies, University of Maryland School of Public Affairs. Governance of Dual-Use Technologies examines the similarities and differences between the strategies used for the control of nuclear technologies and those proposed for biotechnology and information technology. The publication makes clear the challenges concomitant with dual-use governance. For example, general agreement exists internationally on the need to restrict access to technologies enabling the development of nuclear weapons. However, no similar consensus exists in the bio and information technology domains. The publication also explores the limitations of military measures like deterrence, defense, and reprisal in preventing globally available biological and information technologies from being misused. Some of the other questions explored by the publication include: What types of governance measures for these dual-use technologies have already been adopted? What objectives have those measures sought to achieve? How have the technical characteristics of the technology affected governance prospects? What have been the primary obstacles to effective governance, and what gaps exist in the current governance regime? Are further governance measures feasible? In addition to a preface from Global Nuclear Future Initiative Co-Director Robert Rosner (University of Chicago) and an introduction and conclusion from Elisa Harris, Governance of Dual-Use Technologiesincludes:On the Regulation of Dual-Use Nuclear Technology by James M. Acton (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)Dual-Use Threats: The Case of Biotechnology by Elisa D. Harris (University of Maryland)Governance of Information Technology and Cyber Weapons by Herbert Lin (Stanford University

The case for industrial policy : a critical survey

What are the underlying rationales for industrial policy? Does empirical evidence support the use of industrial policy for correcting market failures that plague the process of industrialization? To address these questions, the authors provide a critical survey of the analytical literature on industrial policy. They also review some recent industry successes and argue that only a limited role was played by public interventions. Moreover, the recent ascendance of international industrial networks, which dominate the sectors in which less developed countries have in the past had considerable success, implies a further limitation on the potential role of industrial policies as traditionally understood. Overall, there appears to be little empirical support for an activist government policy even though market failures exist that can, in principle, justify the use of industrial policy.Economic Theory&Research,ICT Policy and Strategies,Water and Industry,Industrial Management,Markets and Market Access