Challenges for development in the Asia-Pacific region: the information sector,South Korea and the Philippines

Abstract

Economic development is based on the creation of new infrastructure and a service sector capable of giving support to national economies to allow society to consolidate and grow. The newly industrialised countries (NICS) of the Asia-Pacific region are good examples of countries on the move. In the rapidly changing economies of these countries, the information sector has gained new prominence alongside other sectors. In recent years NICS have been able not only to absorb new information technologies from outside the region but also have been able to consolidate, improve and create whole new industries around them Such countries have been termed "information societies" because they have been able to manipulate new advances in information-communication to develop their economic bases. Not all countries in the region have been able to do this. This paper, therefore, will examine some of the successes in the information sector, discuss some of the problems experienced by other countries and attempt to provide some answers as to what should be done to improve their chances to keep on the cutting edge of techno logical change.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

S.J. Choi , Review of industrialized information policies existing in developing countries (Paper presented at FID/CAO Meeting, Seoul, 1990).

S. Cole , The glubal impact of information technology, World Development 14 (10/11) (1986) 1277-1292.

C.J. Dahlman , Managmg technological development lessons from the newly industrialized countries, World Development 15(6) (1987) 759-775.

H.J. Engelbrecht , An information sector perspective of employment in the Republic of Korea, 1975-1980, Developing Economies 25(1) ( 1987) 26.

H.J. Engelbrecht , A comparative analysis of the use of information inputs in the manufacturing sectors of Korea and Japan, World Det elopment I (1990) 77-89.

C. Freeman. Technology, Policy and Economic Performance Lessons from Japan (University of Sussex, Falmer , 1987).

C.G. Heden and A King , eds. Social Innovations for Det elopment (Pergamon, Oxford. 1984 ).

G.K. Helleiner , Uncertainty, information and the economic interest of the developing countries. In: C.C. O'Brien , ed. Information, Economies and Power the North-South Dimensions (Hudder & Stroughton, London . 1983) 28-42.

D. Hilling , Infrastructure Gap in the Third World Problents and Perspectues ( St Martins, New York, 1979).

10.

M. Jussawalla and S. Dworak , The primary information sector of the Philippines. In. M. Jussawalla , D.M. Lamberton and N.D Karunaratne , eds. The Cost of Thinking Information Economies of Ten Pacific Countries (Ablex, Norwood, NJ, 1988) 151-164.

11.

R. Kaplinsky, ed. Comparative advantage in an automating world, Bulletin of the Institute of Det elopment Studies 13(2) (1982) 14-18

12.

N.D. Kondraftieff . The long waves in economic life, Review of Economic Statistics 17(2) (1925) 105-115

13.

D.M. Lamberton . Theoretical aspects of the measurement of the information sector. In: M. Jussawalla. D.M. Lamberton and N D Karunaratne , eds. The Cost of Thinking Information Economies of Ten Pacific Countries (Ablex, Norwood, NJ, 1988) 47-59.

14.

D.N. Langenberg , Information technology and the conduct of research: the user's view. In: Report of the Panel on Information Technology and the Conduct of Research (National Academy of Sciences . Washington, DC, 1989) 48.

15.

J. Neishett , Megatrends (Warner, New York, 1982)

16.

P. Nijkamp , Information centre policy in a spatial development perspective. Economic Dei elopment and Cultural Change 37(1) (1988) 173-193.

17.

Oecd, Information Activities , Electronics , and Telecommunications Technologies , Vol I Input on Employment, Growth, and Trade (OECD, Paris, 1981)

18.

M. Olsen, The Rise and Decline of Nations ( Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, 1982).

19.

M. Porat. The Information Economv, Definition, and Measurement (Department of Commerce, Office of the Treasurer, Special Publication 77-12(1), Washington, DC).

20.

E.M Roger and J.K. Lursen. Sihcon Valley Fever ( Free Press. New Yurk, 1984)

21.

J.A. Schrumpter , The Theory of Economic Development: an Inquiry into Profits, Capital, Credit, Interest and Bust-ness Cycles ( Harvard Economic Studies, Vol. 46, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1934).

22.

R. Stankiewicz , Science parks, ATAS Bulletin 2 (1985) 115.

23.

F. Stewart and J. James , The Economies of New Technologies in Developing Countries ( Pinter, London, 1982).

24.

Unctsd , Towards an information technology resource strategy in development, A TAS Bulletin 3 (1986) 163-165.

25.

S. Wall , Growth data of the information sector. In: OECD, Information Activities, Electronics, and Telecommunications, Vol 2. Background Reports (OECD, Paris, 1981) 15