Third ISA Forum of Sociology (July 10-14, 2016)

279

The Knowledge Society and the Brics: Economic and Social Implications

RC23 Sociology of Science and Technology (host committee)

Language: English

We have been witnessing significant changes in the global economic scenario, facilitated by the spread of information and communication technologies (ICTs), as well as other new technologies like biotechnology and nanotechnology. Innovation is closely associated with technologically-led economic growth. Those changes imposed new basis for economic growth and development, with significant social-economic implications.
This global trend is evidenced by the growing importance of knowledge- and technology-intensive (KTI) services (production of software, deployment and management of networks, data processing, consulting, among others) and manufacturing industries, which comprised about 30 percent of the world gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011. As science, technology and innovation became an integral factor of economic growth and development, global R&D expenditures have grown faster than global GDP: from an estimated US$522 billion in 1996, to approximately US$ 1.435 billion in 2011 (Science and Engineering Indicators, 2014). 
BRICS’s governments (Brazil, the Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa) have set out to build a more knowledge-intensive economy to ensure their competitiveness. These policies, among others, include long-term investments in higher education to develop human talent, support for research and development, incentives to promote the relationship between university and firms, in order to stimulate innovation, incentives to the development of innovative micro-, small and medium-size enterprises (MSMEs). 
These are some of the issues to be discussed by researchers from the BRICS countries, examining the phenomena pointed out above and the way their societies are reacting and being affected by the new challenges. Posters: