Purpose

This Forum will bring together policy makers and key thinkers on the knowledge economy from some ten accession countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia) with senior management and experts from the World Bank, the European Commission, OECD, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The purpose of this Forum on "Using Knowledge for Development in EU Accession Countries" is for participants from ten EU accession countries , from international organizations, from think tanks to civil society to share our understanding and experience to date in making knowledge a tool for economic development; and to improve our understanding of the operational implications of a knowledge economy paradigm both for the work of governments as well as of international organizations.

We also hope that the Forum will assist EU accession countries in their current work of assessing their economies from a knowledge perspective as well as in preparing future national strategies and action plans in which knowledge becomes a key driver for competitiveness and economic development. In doing so, the Forum should also provide guidance to international organizations such as the World Bank, the European Commission, the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the OECD in directing their technical and financial support to EU accession countries.