Arkansas – The Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub in North Little Rock and its efforts to foster innovation, entrepreneurship and access to the “knowledge” economy were lauded in the just-released 2014 State of the South report from MDC, a nonprofit organization based in Durham, N.C. Founded as Manpower Development Corporation in 1967, MDC annually publishes the report focusing on educational and vocational challenges facing the South. … The 2014 report — available here (PDF) — says Arkansas must continue growing access to knowledge-based jobs in the state. Link
UK (Scotland) – The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) reported last week that the UK needs an additional 87,000 engineering graduates by 2020. Engineering and the knowledge economy remain a massive opportunity for our economy and our young people; which takes me back to Dundee. Link
Lebanon – “The central bank will have another incentive program of one billion dollars and we will be aggressively engaged in the promotion of knowledge economy,” [Riad] Salameh [central bank governor] said. Link
Lebanon – Beirut – The signing ceremony of the IMPACT Fund occurred on October 24, 2014, representing a major milestone for Lebanon’s Venture Capital scene. With investor commitments in excess of $50 million, the IMPACT Fund is by far the largest Venture Capital fund in Lebanon, and notably the first fund to comply with Banque du Liban’s (BDL) Intermediate Circular 331. The Circular was created by BDL specifically to support the growth of Lebanon’s Knowledge Economy, a sector that is expected to materially improve High Tech employment in Lebanon.
The investment subsidy program outlined in the Intermediate Circular 331 is available only to Lebanese Banks; the program encourages Lebanese Banks to invest early stage equity capital in Lebanon’s Knowledge Economy by providing the Banks with an upfront 75% equity capital subsidy coupled with a 75% downside protection over an investment horizon of 7 years. Link
UAE – His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has endorsed the 2015-2021 plan of the Ministry of Education, that stresses innovation as a key factor in the coming years.
He also directed speeding up the plan’s implementation, stressing the importance of developing the educational process in the UAE widening its concept and bringing it on par with modern scientific ideas, thus leading to innovation in the sector to attain the objectives of the national agenda indicators as given in the UAE Vision 2021.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, while launching the strategy, said, “Thanks to the keen interest shown by the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the field of education, the coming years will witness a complete change in the educational system, which would basically be built on innovation and will be aligned with the national strategy of innovation.” He added that the strategy focuses on knowledge integration in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and other fields, all of which contribute towards strengthening the knowledge economy. …
He also urged educators to pay extra attention to talented students at all schools and stages, stressing that educational plans should keep pace with developments in other sectors and must help build a national knowledge-based economy. Link