White paper on creativity - ebla center

Chapter 9Chapter 9Software, Computer and ICTThe Italian model and a possible way to the knowledgeeconomy: handcrafting software9.1 IntroductionThe last few decades have seen the riseof a new economic paradigm that hassuperseded the Fordist-typeorganisation which had characterisedmost advanced western economies inthe 20th century. This new model iscommonly described as the knowledgeeconomy (Antonelli, 2008).The rise of this model is based on twofundamental elements. On one hand,there has been an obvious process ofstructural change bringing a gradualloss in employment and value added inthe manufacturing sector in favour ofthe tertiary sectors, i.e. the servicesectors. On the other hand, thepowerful impact in terms ofproductivity could not have beenpossible without the widespreadadoption of the new information andcommunications technology (ICT)(Antonelli et al., 2007).For both supply and demand sides, thenew paradigm is thus based on theproduction of services with a highknowledge content rather than materialgoods. In this context, the capacity tocreate and use new knowledge isconsidered the main form ofcompetitive advantage for businesses(Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995).Moreover, traditional economic theoryalso acknowledged the importance ofknowledge in the process of economicgrowth, by incorporating it in itsanalytical processes in the form ofplanned formal creative activities, suchas research and development, andinformal activities such as learning thatgenerates dynamic economies of scale(Romer, 1986; 1990). At that time therewas talk of “useful knowledge”, as thewhole set of those forms of knowledgewhich are part of the productionprocess and increase its efficiency andmay contribute to improving lifestyles(Mokyr, 2002).New knowledge is produced by meansof knowledge in a cumulative pointprocess that can be summed up in thecelebrated comment attributed toNewton: “If I have seen farther, it is bystanding on the shoulder of giants”.WHITE PAPER ON CREATIVITY 209