“The creation of knowledge economy must serve as a basis for this country's development.” - Ukraine's Economy Minister Bohdan Danylyshyn (Jan 15, 2008)
Ukraine’s economy has substantial natural comparative advantages. Yet today's Ukraine is not maximizing its competitive edge in the global economy. In order to enhance its competitiveness vis-à-vis its emerging market competitors, Ukraine strives to broaden its export structure and increase its labor productivity to support long-term economic growth. However, sustainable increases in productivity needed for economic growth require “technological progress”, defined broadly as the adoption and creation of knowledge relevant for production, which is typically embodied in enhanced machinery and more efficient processes. Most modern successful knowledge-based economies are typically those that have higher productivity due to high adoption rates of existing technology and the generation of new technologies by domestic firms and research institutions, facilitated among others by a skilled labor force and a strong science base.
The World Bank Group is conducting a variety of activities to strengthen leading public sector institutions and the private sector that form the national innovation system to support Ukraine’s transition to becoming increasingly competitive and knowledge-intensive. One of the activities being organized by the World Bank is the 2008 Competitiveness and Knowledge Economy Training Initiative and is being co-hosted in partnership with the Ministry of Economy and Ministry of Education and Science.
Agenda
Tuesday, February 28
Key Issues:
Policy Frameworks for Knowledge-based Economy: National Strategies and Regional Challenges
Governance in the knowledge economy: policy strategies and policy-making models
Overcoming Fragmentation of Polices and Programs: Towards New Industrial and Innovation Policies
Streamlining Institutional Capacity and Policy Making Responsibilities in a modern NIS
14:00–14:30
International Practice in Agenda Setting for Innovation Policy Gilbert Nicolaon, Former Head of Anvar, French Agency for Commercialization
14:30 – 15:30
Ukraine’s Leading Reform Strategies for Promoting a Knowledge Economy
Dr. Yuri Poluneev, Member, Cabinet of Ministers, on Program of the Government of Ukraine (For People Not for Politicians), and Program of the Cabinet of Ministers for Social and Economic Development 2008-2009.
Ms. Kriuchkova, Deputy Minister of Economy, Program for Strengthening of Competitiveness of Ukraine
Discussant: Mrs. Lyudmila Musina, Former Deputy Minister of Economy
Discussant: Prof. Valerii Muntian, Deputy Minister of Economy Moderator: Natasha Kapil, Innovation Specialist, World Bank
15:30 - 16:00
Coffee Break
16:00 - 17:00
Roundtable Discussions on National Innovation System Mapping in Ukraine
Institutional Mapping of Ukraine’s National Innovation System (NIS)
Streamlining policy and decision making for better Technology Adoption and Innovation.
Moderator: Gilbert Nicolaon, Former Head of Anvar, French Agency for Commercialization
17:00 - 18:00
Closing Session
Presentation by Participant Teams on findings of the Institutional Policy and Strategic Mapping Exercise
Break-Out Group Moderators: Natasha Kapil, Florentin Blanc, World Bank Group
Speakers Bios
Gilbert Nicolaon
Gilbert Nicolaon is an independent consultant and Former Head of the French Eureka Office, European Network for Market-Oriented Industrial R&D, European market oriented R&D project, from 1995 until 2005. He was previously associated with Anvar, the French Innovation Agency, and has held positions as the Scientific Attache and Scientific Counselor at the French Embassies in the U.S. and the U.K. He has also held positions in industry and academia, focusing on innovation engineering and technology transfer, and has published extensively. Mr. Nicolaon has consulted in various countries, including southeast Europe, as well as for the World Bank.
Yuri V. Poluneev Head, Council on Competitiveness of Ukraine
Dr. Yuri Poluneev was appointed the President of the International Management Institute (MIM-Kyiv) as of January 1, 2006. Dr. Poluneev held post of the Executive Director for Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London in 1996 through 2005. His professional record also features his key positions in the Administration of the President of Ukraine (Kyiv), International Committee for Economic Reform and Cooperation (Bonn, Germany), Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD, Ukraine, France), International Management Institute MIM-Kyiv, and in the National Academy of Science of Ukraine (Ukraine).
Within the framework of his professional and scientific interests Mr Poluneev worked on the improvement of the investment climate of Ukraine, on the strategy of economic development and market reforms, on the country's competitiveness, collaborated with international financial institutions, assisted in developing state policies in finance, in the external debt management, etc.
Mr. Poluneev is the author of more than 80 national and international publications, including books, articles, researches and various international conference papers. He is also a co-author of five academic monographs on the financial aspects of the energy crisis, on energy and economic security, on international business and finance, etc. In 1988 he received an award of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine to Young Researchers for the Best Series of Research publications on International Economics.
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