Learning to Innovate - Reperceiving the global information society (January 2005)

Chairman’s Foreword

In the global knowledge-based economy, our future competitiveness and cohesion is critically dependent on all sections of society becoming more innovative. We cannot face tomorrow’s challenges equipped only with yesterday’s solutions. Accelerated social, economic and technological change demands a stronger commitment to learning new ways of doing things – and to unlearning what is no longer useful.

Change and learning can be seen as two sides of the same coin, and a faster pace of change requires us to learn more quickly. The key to prosperity in a more competitive world is therefore to unlock the talents of each and every citizen. We must innovate in boosting our capacity to create wealth; in realising the full potential of our human resources; and in strengthening the position of those most vulnerable to change.

The experience from our work programme over the past three years suggests that we should also be increasingly circumspect about the effectiveness of centrally defined solutions. The role of expert knowledge and intelligence has never been greater. However, the development of this expertise must be aligned with a new emphasis on intensified communication and cooperation between all stakeholders in society. In an environment of exponentially growing flows of information, the finite resource is our capacity to think, to collaborate, and to agree what is important. The level of ambition that we set for ourselves in envisioning new possibilities will be crucial.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of the Commission for their commitment over the past three years, and to acknowledge in particular the dedication of those involved in chairing our advisory groups. A special word of appreciation is due to all who contributed to our work programme through their participation in these groups, including the cooperation of NESC, Forfás and the HEA in progressing the Knowledge Society Foresight initiative. Finally I would like to express the Commission’s gratitude to the Secretariat for all their help and support.

The significance of the key messages that we have set out in this report is far-reaching.

We commend them to Government with confidence.

Dr Daniel O’Hare

•  Learning to Innovate.pdf (846 KB)