Design a Pattern of Sustainable Growth. Innovation, Education, Energy and Environment
Author(s): / Language(s): English
Keywords: Sustainability; local innovation; techno park, growth; environment; education; knowledge economy
The global financial crisis, the euro crisis, the increasing population, the slow pace of radical innovations, the risks concerning the environment, but also the Arab Spring and its effects, the US Federal Reserve‘s tapering program, and, last but not least, the 75 million unemployed young people around the world, have characterized the global economy in the past few years. So the economy at a global level shows a growing number of critical factors.Uncertainty, above all, is the characterizing the world‘s economy and the expectations about growth are diminishing. Moreover, on the one hand, the world is becoming more tightly interconnected, on the other, it is becoming more inequitable, volatile, and less sustainable.Globalization has helped to bring hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. Many of these people have become customers of the global economy, clustering in new urban areas requiring infrastructure and resources. In this scenario a new growth model that guarantees highquality and sustainable economic growth becomes a crucial choice in every country. This new model of growth is necessary to boost long-term sustainable growth. It should focus on innovation, education, green energy, infrastructure and sustainable agriculture to get economic and social returns.Innovation, in particular, remains a strategic factor for growth and it is also a crucial determinant of the global competitiveness of countries. It is important to create innovations that improve quality of life, provide value for organizations and stakeholders. Joseph Schumpeter in his book, Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy (1942) has pointed out that innovation is the process that generates goods and services that are of better quality and lower prices than their predecessors. As firms innovate, they inevitably bring about an efficient allocation of the economy‘s resources and growth will occur.In addition, education and training of human resources is a key issue for sustainable and high quality growth. Moreover, new skills and competencies and their management are crucial for growth. At the same time the environment is directly related to people‘s quality of life and economic development. Problems such as, for instance, the expansion of the urban area into peripheral areas will have effects on the natural ecosystems. Environment and energy are also strictly interconnected; the challenges of energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable land use and natural resources management have become absolutely important in the perspective of sustainable growth. Science, technology and innovation can provide solutions for energy and environment, thus it is essential to consider those technical innovations that are adapted to environmental, economic and social conditions of the country.
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