Examining Sudanese Economy’s Readiness to be a Knowledge-Based Economy

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore the readiness of Sudanese economy to be a knowledge-based economy, and to determine the basic knowledge economic factors for achieving sustainable development in Sudan. The study has been carried out using the benchmarking process depending on the Knowledge Assessment Methodology(KAM) indicators adopted by the World Bank, which used the following indicators: innovation, research and development; education; infrastructure based on Information and communication technology (ICT); economic incentives; and regime (governance). Sudan has been compared with the Arab Countries from the Lower Middle Economies which include (Algeria, Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Yemen and Mauritania) using recent data. The study revealed a very low level of readiness in Sudan economy compared to those countries as far as the key knowledge economy indicators are concerned. Keywords:Knowledge economy; Benchmarking; Knowledge economy index; Knowledge economy indicators (pillars), ICT. INTRODUCTION: The world economies are experiencing a great transformation from traditional economies (where factors of production include land, capital, and labor) to knowledge based economies (where knowledge is the key factor of production). Knowledge becomes the main tool of economic development in all over the world economies. Factors of knowledge includes items as how people use their education and skills; innovation; entrepreneurship; training support; communication and information technologies; and research and development.