Industry clusters promote innovation in the Arab World, through collaboration among businesses, research institutions, and governments. Benefits include the creation and sharing of knowledge, professional networking, access to spill-over knowledge, and specialized talent pools.

Over recent decades we have witnessed the globalization of research. However, this has yet to translate into a worldwide scientific network, across which competencies and resources can flow freely. Arab countries have strived to join this globalized world and become a ‘knowledge economy,’ yet little time has been invested in the region’s fragmented scientific institutions; institutions that should provide opportunities for individuals to step out on the global stage. Knowledge Production in the Arab World investigates research practices in the Arab world, using multiple case studies from the region with particular focus on Lebanon and Jordan. It depicts the Janus-like face of Arab research, poised between the negative and the positive and faced with two potentially opposing strands; local relevance alongside its internationalization. The book critically assesses the role and dynamics of research and poses questions that are crucial to further our understanding of the very particular case of knowledge production in the Arab region. The book explores research’s relevance and whom it serves, as well as the methodological flaws behind academic rankings and the meaning and application of key concepts such as knowledge society/economy. Providing a detailed and comprehensive examination of knowledge production in the Arab world, this book is of interest to students, scholars and policy makers working on the issues of research practices and status of science in contemporary developing countries.

This book discusses renewable energy policy in oil and gas-wealthy Arab states and presents the reader with a well-informed overview of the national energy systems – both conventional and renewable. It also seeks to answer questions on the poor growth prospects by contextualizing the various national renewable energy production efforts in the other energy sectors, national and international power politics and energy markets. With a focus on the UAE and Algeria – who were both vocal in their promotion of renewable energies for domestic and export-oriented power production – these two cases studies are highlighted with common features both in terms of policies and energy systems and showing the vast differences between the governance contexts of the lower Gulf and of North Africa. Both country case studies also feature sections on the most visible renewable energy project connected to the country – the UAE’s Masdar project and Algeria’s energy efforts and relation to the trans-Mediterranean renewable energy efforts around the Desertec project. Building on original research in both countries and over 90 interviews with senior stakeholders in half a dozen states, this book seeks to contribute to both Middle Eastern and (renewable) energy policy studies. In combination with the transition management approach as innovation theory model this book covers a timely and important topic with a wide-ranging audience, both geographically and in terms of scientific background.

"This study is aimed at contributing to streamlining the process of building an integrated knowledge society in accordance with the goals of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). It provides a framework and a guide for the design and development of national strategies aimed at the realization and advancement of the knowledge society and knowledge-based economies, and the implementation of such strategies in Arab countries."--P. iii.

The Global Innovation Index ranks the innovation performance of 142 countries and economies around the world, based on 84 indicators. This edition explores the impact of innovation-oriented policies on economic growth and development. High-income and developing countries alike are seeking innovation-driven growth through different strategies. Some countries are successfully improving their innovation capacity, while others still struggle.

This volume offers a detailed conceptual framework for understanding and learning about technology innovation policies and programs, and their implementation in the context of different countries.

This book provides an overview of the current state of universities in the Arab world, and how they have the potential to transform society to raise the quality of life and stimulate wealth. The main themes progress from general to the specific. Each chapter providing an overview followed by factual analysis and options for the way forward. All of the major challenges facing universities in general are addressed with reference to issues of particular importance in the Arab Region. The challenges faced include: the need to accommodate a social model of life-long learning; the desire for institutional autonomy while interacting with governments; the availability of open-access online courses and distance learning. Arab universities are diverse, ranging from those entirely state-controlled and funded, to wholly independent private universities. The quality of governmental oversight is also variable, and some institutions are clearly unworthy of the appellation ‘university’. The book comprises of 20 chapters authored by senior academics with a wide international experience and a commitment to assisting the improvement of Arab higher educational and research communities.

Countries aspiring to participate fully in the global knowledge economy require high-quality education and research that leads to innovation, entrepreneurship and development. In spite of the large number of institutions higher education institutions, the Arab World failed to capitalise in research and development. This book will examine the current position of university research and development in the Arab region, note the main themes, their international impact, and propose new directions. Crucially, it will examine the underlying reasons for the underperformance, including specific government research policies, university-appointment and governance processes to stimulate research, funding assessment and allocation processes, resource limitations, and public attitudes. By substantially upgrading the research component of Arab universities along with the quality of education generally, the Arab world will have the vehicle to transition into peaceful, stable, and members of leading global economies. There are opportunities for inter-university cooperation and the establishment of regional university-linked research institutes with specialist facilities.

How would Palestine organize itself as a state economically? A respected, international group of academics have come together under the editorship of Cobham and Kanafani to analyze and attempt to answer this difficult question.

One-size-fits-all cluster policies have been rightly criticized in the literature. One promising approach is to focus cluster policies on the specific needs of firms depending on the stage of development (emergence, growth, sustainment or decline) their cluster is in. In this highly insightful book, these stage-specific cluster policies are analysed and evaluated. Moreover, several chapters also focus on smart specialization policies to promote regional development by taking into account the emergence and adaptation of clusters and industries.