With the spread of information and communication technologies (ICTs) comes the potential both for new social and economic equalities and new forms of inequalities. Information, Power, and Politics: Technological and Institutional Mediations demonstrates that ICTs can act as an impetus for democratizing information and knowledge, while at the same time new institutional frameworks can limit one's use of and access to strategic information and knowledge. The volume's contributors address ways to strengthen and affirm the socially marginalized as well as suggest how best to incorporate (semi)peripheral countries and regions into the international system. Information, Power, and Politics offers a refreshing and timely perspective on the ever-evolving relationship between information, knowledge, and communication.

This significant book demonstrates how the 'systems of innovation' approach can be utilised to understand the complex interactions between innovation and growth which, in turn, can enhance the prospects of developing nations.Systems of Innovation and Development confronts the challenges and opportunities of the knowledge era, focusing particularly on the new conditions for industrial and technological advancement. The distinguished contributors address many of the most significant issues including the globalising learning economy, the finance-dominated accumulation regime, learning and development divides, systems of innovation and local productive arrangements. They also define the conceptual and methodological instruments which can be used to analyse and understand the core issues of learning, knowledge and innovation. In doing so, they demonstrate the value of the systems of innovation approach in the design and implementation of strategic development policies which are urgently required in many countries. This book represents a significant contribution to the debates surrounding globalisation and local systems of innovation. The diverse perspectives on global and local processes combined with original insights on developing countries will be of immense value to scholars and students of economics, social science, political science, and business administration. The book will also be of interest to policymakers in governmental and non-governmental bodies, particularly international development agencies.