Daan Boom 

Community and Corporate Learning for Innovation (CCLFI), The Philippines

Knowledge is a driver of change. Change occurs through the process of invention, innovation and diffusion that leads to the transformation of ideas and knowledge into tangible products and services that have high utility value to societal needs. In general, drivers of change are innovation, direct acquisition from purchase, learning-by-doing, research and development and technology transfer through interactions of activities between countries, institutions, and people. Experiences of economic development of countries indicate that acquisition and application of knowledge and technology depends largely on enabling governance and infrastructural systems (circumstances) and natural endowments of countries.

Specifically, the task in KM4Dev is to support users – whether communities, local and national governments or civil society organizations – with the right knowledge to enable them to produce the development results they aspire to. It is therefore imperative for all economies to adapt knowledge for development as driver of change to inspire economic, social and environmental transformation that springs into high sustainable growth and prosperity.