The digital economy-that part of economic output derived solely or primarily from digital technol... more The digital economy-that part of economic output derived solely or primarily from digital technologies with a business model based on digital goods or services-is of increasing importance to developing countries. Yet digital economy reality is undershooting its potential in these countries, due to a series of challenges. Digital infrastructure is in part incomplete, costly and poorly-performing. The wider digital ecosystem suffers a shortfall in human capabilities, weak financing, and poor governance. Growth in the digital economy is exacerbating digital exclusion, inequality, adverse incorporation and other digital harms. Alongside explaining these challenges, this paper overviews the policy objectives and measures, and processes and structures necessary to enhance digital economy growth and its contribution to socioeconomic development.
International Organisations Research Journal, 2018
The Development Informatics working paper series discusses the broad issues surrounding digital d... more The Development Informatics working paper series discusses the broad issues surrounding digital data, information, knowledge, information systems, and information and communication technologies in the process of socioeconomic development
Scientific research, technological development, and commercialisation are processes through which... more Scientific research, technological development, and commercialisation are processes through which new technologies continually emerge and enter markets. Nanotechnology is an example of an emergent technology (or rather a suite of technologies) which promises to open up a universe of possibilities for the development of new products and processes. Advocates of the technology argue that nanotechnology has the potential to spur economic development while at the same time offering partial solutions to many of the grand challenges of our times such as alleviating hunger, providing new energy sources, reducing climate change, curing diseases, etc. However, alongside these optimistic views, there are also fears and apprehensions concerning the safe and ethical development of nanotechnologies, including the need to address potential negative impacts on the natural environment and human health and safety. 6 An independent research firm that provides trends and intelligence on emerging technologies 7 Cientifica (2007) estimated that by 2015, the market for nanotechnology products will be over one trillion US$ in the US alone.
Level of development of digital economy policy and governance varies widely within countries of t... more Level of development of digital economy policy and governance varies widely within countries of the global South. One country in which it has been significantly developed is Thailand, which has both dedicated policies and governance structures for the digital economy. This paper provides a largely descriptive overview of these. It reviews the current Digital Economy Plan and also some of its predecessor plans and policies. It explains the structural underpinning seen in recent creation of a new Ministry of Digital Economy and Society; and reviews the content of planned legislative changes. Following a short review of specific issues with digital infrastructure, the paper provides a brief analytical commentary.
Level of development of digital economy policy and governance varies widely within countries of t... more Level of development of digital economy policy and governance varies widely within countries of the global South. One country in which it has been significantly developed is Thailand, which has both dedicated policies and governance structures for the digital economy. This paper provides a largely descriptive overview of these. It reviews the current Digital Economy Plan and also some of its predecessor plans and policies. It explains the structural underpinning seen in recent creation of a new Ministry of Digital Economy and Society; and reviews the content of planned legislative changes. Following a short review of specific issues with digital infrastructure, the paper provides a brief analytical commentary.
Development Informatics Working Paper no. 68, 2017
The digital economy is growing fast, especially in developing countries. Yet the meaning and metr... more The digital economy is growing fast, especially in developing countries. Yet the meaning and metrics of the digital economy are both limited and divergent. The aim of this paper is to review what is currently known in order to develop a definition of the digital economy, and an estimate of its size. The paper argues there are three scopes of relevance. The core of the digital economy is the ‘digital sector’: the IT/ICT sector producing foundational digital goods and services. The true ‘digital economy’ – defined as “that part of economic output derived solely or primarily from digital technologies with a business model based on digital goods or services” – consists of the digital sector plus emerging digital and platform services. The widest scope – use of ICTs in all economic fields – is here referred to as the ‘digitalised economy’. Following a review of measurement challenges, the paper estimates the digital economy as defined here to make up around 5% of global GDP and 3% of global employment. Behind this lies significant unevenness: the global North has had the lion’s share of the digital economy to date, but growth rates are fastest in the global South. Yet potential growth could be much higher: further research to understand more about the barriers to and impacts of the digital economy in developing countries is therefore a priority.
The digital economy-that part of economic output derived solely or primarily from digital technol... more The digital economy-that part of economic output derived solely or primarily from digital technologies with a business model based on digital goods or services-is of increasing importance to developing countries. Yet digital economy reality is undershooting its potential in these countries, due to a series of challenges. Digital infrastructure is in part incomplete, costly and poorly-performing. The wider digital ecosystem suffers a shortfall in human capabilities, weak financing, and poor governance. Growth in the digital economy is exacerbating digital exclusion, inequality, adverse incorporation and other digital harms. Alongside explaining these challenges, this paper overviews the policy objectives and measures, and processes and structures necessary to enhance digital economy growth and its contribution to socioeconomic development.
International Organisations Research Journal, 2018
The Development Informatics working paper series discusses the broad issues surrounding digital d... more The Development Informatics working paper series discusses the broad issues surrounding digital data, information, knowledge, information systems, and information and communication technologies in the process of socioeconomic development
Scientific research, technological development, and commercialisation are processes through which... more Scientific research, technological development, and commercialisation are processes through which new technologies continually emerge and enter markets. Nanotechnology is an example of an emergent technology (or rather a suite of technologies) which promises to open up a universe of possibilities for the development of new products and processes. Advocates of the technology argue that nanotechnology has the potential to spur economic development while at the same time offering partial solutions to many of the grand challenges of our times such as alleviating hunger, providing new energy sources, reducing climate change, curing diseases, etc. However, alongside these optimistic views, there are also fears and apprehensions concerning the safe and ethical development of nanotechnologies, including the need to address potential negative impacts on the natural environment and human health and safety. 6 An independent research firm that provides trends and intelligence on emerging technologies 7 Cientifica (2007) estimated that by 2015, the market for nanotechnology products will be over one trillion US$ in the US alone.
Level of development of digital economy policy and governance varies widely within countries of t... more Level of development of digital economy policy and governance varies widely within countries of the global South. One country in which it has been significantly developed is Thailand, which has both dedicated policies and governance structures for the digital economy. This paper provides a largely descriptive overview of these. It reviews the current Digital Economy Plan and also some of its predecessor plans and policies. It explains the structural underpinning seen in recent creation of a new Ministry of Digital Economy and Society; and reviews the content of planned legislative changes. Following a short review of specific issues with digital infrastructure, the paper provides a brief analytical commentary.
Level of development of digital economy policy and governance varies widely within countries of t... more Level of development of digital economy policy and governance varies widely within countries of the global South. One country in which it has been significantly developed is Thailand, which has both dedicated policies and governance structures for the digital economy. This paper provides a largely descriptive overview of these. It reviews the current Digital Economy Plan and also some of its predecessor plans and policies. It explains the structural underpinning seen in recent creation of a new Ministry of Digital Economy and Society; and reviews the content of planned legislative changes. Following a short review of specific issues with digital infrastructure, the paper provides a brief analytical commentary.
Development Informatics Working Paper no. 68, 2017
The digital economy is growing fast, especially in developing countries. Yet the meaning and metr... more The digital economy is growing fast, especially in developing countries. Yet the meaning and metrics of the digital economy are both limited and divergent. The aim of this paper is to review what is currently known in order to develop a definition of the digital economy, and an estimate of its size. The paper argues there are three scopes of relevance. The core of the digital economy is the ‘digital sector’: the IT/ICT sector producing foundational digital goods and services. The true ‘digital economy’ – defined as “that part of economic output derived solely or primarily from digital technologies with a business model based on digital goods or services” – consists of the digital sector plus emerging digital and platform services. The widest scope – use of ICTs in all economic fields – is here referred to as the ‘digitalised economy’. Following a review of measurement challenges, the paper estimates the digital economy as defined here to make up around 5% of global GDP and 3% of global employment. Behind this lies significant unevenness: the global North has had the lion’s share of the digital economy to date, but growth rates are fastest in the global South. Yet potential growth could be much higher: further research to understand more about the barriers to and impacts of the digital economy in developing countries is therefore a priority.
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Papers by Rumana Bukht