Development Planning and ICT

Welcome to the 2nd semester! First, let us place into context ICT as the cutting edge industry for development. Under the general category of research and development (R&D), it is seen as way of post-industrial development, generating economic growth for resource challenged, but highly educated and highly techonological societies (e.g., Taiwan).
Since ICT development demands relatively high capital inputs, this is a policy choice, informed by rational calculation, in other words, a development plan by the State. A science park (industrial complex) like Nankang in Taipei which is devoted to software development alone absorbed millions of dollars. Then the State has to forge backward and forward linkages for its products which are basically just “thoughts”, and not yet commodities by any definition.
Both Development Planning and ICT students should review basic economic concepts like supply and demand, and the theory of production. I will deliver a lecture on economic development in the first meeting which will be on Saturday, November 15.

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