Starting from a review of basic economic concepts, this blog posting considers alternatives for promoting inventions of appropriate technologies serving the poor and the problem of disseminating such inventions widely. John Daly, Thoughts About K4D, August 7. 2008.

Increased agricultural productivity is a major stepping stone on the path out of poverty, but farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia face tremendous challenges improving production.

The National Research Council report Emerging Technologies to Benefit Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia (2008) identifies 60 emerging innovations in science and technology that have the potential to improve agricultural productivity in these two regions. Eighteen are recommended for immediate deve more...

4 July 2008 - UNODC's information technology tool designed to help countries fight financial crimes such as money-laundering and the financing of terrorism, goAML, was installed last week in the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) of Namibia, upon request by the country's National Bank. The software, created by UNODC's Information Technology Section, is the prototype for a set of IT tools being developed by UNODC to help financial intelligence and law enforcement agencies step up their fight ag more...

'In June 2006, seventeen scientists and educators selected by the National Academies, the Academy of Sciences of Iran, and the Acad mie des Sciences of France held a workshop at the estate of the Fondation des Treilles in Toutour, France, to discuss issues concerning the role of science in the development of modern societies. Science and Technology and the Future Development of Societies includes the presentations made at the workshop and summa rizes the discussions that followed the presentatio more...

This report presents a wealth of information, and much of it is presented beautifully, aiding reader understanding. While the focus is on the scientific, technological and educational activities of the United States, there is a wealth of comparative information on other regions of the world. The report is especially strong on the characteristics of the U.S. scientific and technological labor market that attract professionals from other nations. Titus Galama and James Hosek, RAND, 2008. (PDF, 189 more...

The article concludes: 'The United States National Research Council has recently called for a series of research objectives to improve desalination. These include improving membranes, permeability, chemical and mechanical resistance to damage, and fouling resistance. They also call for developing new methods from RO, such as active and hybrid systems that combine thermal and non-thermal methods. “To obtain further reductions in energy [use], a different desalination approach is required, such more...

The IASP is the worldwide network of Science and Technology Parks. It seeks to connect Science Park professionals from across the globe and provide services that drive growth and effectiveness for its member Science Parks. The Science Parks in turn are intended to enhance the competitiveness of companies and entrepreneurs of their cities and regions, and to contribute to global economic development through innovation, entrepreneurship, and the transfer of knowledge and technology.

The World Technopolis Association (WTA), is a multilateral international organization. It was created with the objective of connecting the advancement of science and technology with local development in order to achieve a shared development through cooperation and exchanges among science cities. Its members are mainly local governments.

The World Bank convened a Global Forum on STI Capacity Building for Sustainable Growth and Poverty Reduction in February 2007.. This book constitutes the Proceedings of that Global Forum. 2008. (PDF)

This UNESCO sponsored workshop was held at the
Manchester Institute of Innovation Research, University of Manchester, 27-29 February 2008,(PDF, 5 pages)