IKD: Innovation, Knowledge and Development

Welcome to IKD

New ESRC projects

Two new ESRC funded projects led by Dr Giles Mohan were launched recently to examine China's role in Africa.

Chinese migrants in Africa

Rising Powers Network

90-second lectures

See IKD research on You Tube!

Economics of Innovation: 90-second lecture presented by Mariana Mazzucato

Politics: 90-second lecture presented by Giles Mohan

Money for nothing - crisis for free

Dr Leslie Budd discusses the causes of the current economic crisis.

Read the full Business Works magazine article

Dr Budd is an IKD Steering Group member and Reader in Social Enterprise, Open University Business School.

Fixing the broken innovation model

Prof Mariana Mazzucato argues that more radical innovation is needed in the pharma industry

Read the full article in the Pharmaceutical Executive magazine

Prof Mazzucato is an IKD Deputy Director and Professor of Economics at the Open University

Promoting Innovation, Productivity and Industrial Growth and Reducing Poverty

This book is a widely cited collection stemming from an IKD international workshop. It is edited by Prof Maureen Mackintosh and Prof Joanna Chataway of the Open University and Prof Marc Wuyts of ISS in The Hague. Now out in paperback.

For further details and to order, please visit the publishers website.

IKD leaflet

Download the new IKD leaflet (PDF document, 210 KB)

IKD project meeting

IKD Project meeting Bahia, Brazil 2007, 'Innovation in Pharma and Equity in Health'

Knowledge and innovation drive social and economic development, raising living standards for some but often leaving others behind. In education, health, the environment, enterprise development and other areas technological possibilities engage the hopes and ambitions of policymakers. However, translating the possibilities into concrete gains for target populations in industrially developed or developing countries proves enormously challenging.

The Centre for Innovation, Knowledge and Development (IKD) researches the dynamics between technology creation and diffusion, business behavior, government and non-governmental actors. A primary focus is on exploring ways that knowledge and innovation can contribute to inclusive and sustainable patterns of development. IKD's strength comes from its diversity and its ability to cross traditional discipline boundaries. This permits research relevant to that primary focus in the following areas for example: Governance and conflict; education; migration and diaspora; health; medical and agricultural biotechnology; innovation and industry dynamics; capabilities and capacity development; public-private partnerships; regulatory frameworks; social justice, complexity and enterprise development and entrepreneurship.

Please refer to our other pages for more details about our members and the exciting IKD projects that they are engaged in.

Upcoming Events

IKD Seminar Series

10 March 2010: Seminar from 13:00 (lunch available from 12:30)

Andrew Mold (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)
Policy Ownership and Aid Conditionality in the Light of the Financial Crisis
Room 00-13, Ground Floor, Chambers Building