Category Archives: Resource Based Economy

The House of Representatives has an opportunity to support New Hampshire jobs. Senate Bill 129 (the New Hampshire Clean Energy Jobs and Opportunity Act of 2017), the product of almost a year of hard work and compromise among numerous stakeholders, will be voted on today.

This much-needed, bipartisan clean energy bill advances biomass jobs, forest products jobs, sawmill jobs, clean energy jobs and solar jobs. These are good jobs and good industries right here in the Granite State.

SB 129 makes an important fix to New Hampshires renewable portfolio standards law (also called the RPS) that will help sustain the biomass power plants. Good paying New Hampshire jobs are literally at stake right now.

One needs to look no further than the biomass power plant in Alexandria, to see why SB 129 is necessary. The plant recently suspended operation. These plants support over 900 jobs and over $250 million yearly in economic activity in our state. SB 129 is critical to their survival. Without SB 129, the remaining biomass plants are likely to close by 2018 and these jobs will vanish.

The biomass industry is also critical to New Hampshires statewide natural resource-based economy and its scenic character. It is the one area where our energy policy intersects with our natural resource policy. Not only does the biomass industry produce electricity, but the biomass plants also serve as the market for low-grade wood.

With New Hampshire being the second most forested state in the country, biomass serves as a critical market for the states logging, forestry, sawmill and landowner communities. Proper forestry practices produce healthy forests for recreation, wildlife habitat and an annual $1.4 billion forest products industry.

SB 129 also supports and advances more than 1,200 solar-related jobs in New Hampshire. Solar continues to be a growing industry in New Hampshire. More jobs have been added in the clean energy job sector than in most other New Hampshire industries. These jobs also appeal to a younger workforce something New Hampshire desperately needs. SB 129 supports our solar industry and also expands its benefit to low- to moderate-income residential customers.

As we continue to promote New Hampshire as the state to locate business, we need to focus on growing our clean-energy sector. Without these opportunities, clean-energy companies will continue to shift and expand jobs in neighboring states.

Opponents have tried to label this bill as a hidden tax. This is far from the truth. The RPS was passed over 10 years ago. The programs and industries that have participated in the RPS have yielded significant benefit to the states ratepayers in terms of energy diversification, state economic activity, thousands of jobs and reducing peak demand, all of which contribute to lowering electric rates and the promotion of a strong New Hampshire economy. The RPS must be updated to remain competitive in our region. Many residential, commercial, municipal and industrial customers have taken advantage of the RPS to lower their electricity costs. We want this to continue.

How do you determine whether a law and program is worth the investment? We look at the return on investment.

Although RPS opponents continue to call it a subsidy and claim higher rates, the fact is our states renewable energy industries and programs provide value in lowering bills, creating and sustaining New Hampshire jobs, and providing economic activity that has a ripple effect in our economy. If we lost the biomass industry tomorrow, we would see small-business bankruptcies, lost taxes, lost jobs and an increase in unemployment in every region of our state.

Instead, our support of these renewable energy industries means we continue to receive the benefits of reduced electricity costs brought about by ensuring we have effective and updated renewable energy policies, like those in SB 129.

At the end of the day, the benefits in terms of jobs and economic activity far outweigh the cost.

It is time to move forward with this bipartisan effort to support and sustain our renewable energy industries. Its time to pass SB 129 and support our New Hampshire energy and related sector jobs.

(Jeb Bradley is a Wolfeboro Republican. Dan Feltes is a Concord Democrat. Herb Richardson is a Lancaster Republican. Robert Backus is a Manchester Democrat.)

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Our Turn: Pass SB 129, save 900 New Hampshire jobs - Concord Monitor

THUNDER BAY Kevin Page says the biggest threat to the global economy isnt oil prices.

Its politics, the former Parliamentary budget officer told a crowd of about 60 people on Thursday at a Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce-sponsored luncheon.

An economist at the University of Ottawa, Page said its undeniable the world is considered about the results of the most recent United States election and the impact on the economy going forward. And with good reason, he added.

But theres no need to panic, Page said.

Weve also seen there are a lot of checks and balances in the United States, so theres been a lot of pushback. President (Donald) Trump hasnt been able to push through changes on health care and (other) issues, Page said.

And were going to wait and see where they will go on climate change and other trade issues.

Page, who in 2013 drew the ire of former prime minister Stephen Harper when he took the Conservative government to court for not releasing details about planned austerity, said hes confident Canada is strong enough to get beyond the Trump rhetoric, especially when it comes to issues like the presidents decision to rewrite the North American Free Trade Act.

In the U.S. system they still need to pass laws. NAFTA will have to be passed by Congress. And I think Congress has a strong understanding of the trade relationships with Canada.

Its not just Canada that has Page concerned. Theres uncertainty throughout the world, from strongmen like Vladimir Putins interference holding Russias reins to the authoritarian measures in places like the Philippines, Turkey and North Korea.

The possible collapse of the European Union and Great Britains decision to opt out of the EU is also troubling to investors, who seek certainty when risking their money.

This hurts investment. And we need investment. If you look at investment numbers in Canada over the past five or six years, were pretty much flat, said Page, who this weekend will receive an honourary degree from his alma mater, Lakehead University.

Were going to need to deal with the politics. Its not going to happen quickly. Were stuck with what were stuck with. Then the question becomes how do we support our political parties in Canada to provide a different political direction?

Should Trumps isolationism increase, Thunder Bays resource-based economy could struggle further. The task of government will be to help find a new strategy and forge growth elsewhere.

We still have strong trading relationships with the United States, but where are the opportunities we can exploit with these emerging economies, be it India or China or Brazil? Its a difficult period, but it creates opportunities in that sense, for us to find those new relationships, Page said.

Its not easy, but Thunder Bay has lived through difficult times in the past, as well.

Continued here:

Politics biggest determinant of economic future, says Page - Tbnewswatch.com

The House of Representatives has an opportunity to support New Hampshire jobs. Senate Bill 129 (The N.H. Clean Energy Jobs & Opportunity Act of 2017), the product of almost a year of hard work and compromise among numerous stakeholders, will be voted on June 1. This much-needed, bipartisan clean energy bill advances biomass jobs, forest products jobs, sawmill jobs, clean energy jobs, and solar jobs. These are good jobs and good industries right here in the Granite State.

SB-129 makes an important fix to New Hampshires renewable portfolio standards law (also called the RPS) that will help sustain the biomass power plants. Good paying New Hampshire jobs are literally at stake right now. One needs to look no further than the biomass power plant in Alexandria, to see why SB-129 is necessary. The plant recently suspended operation. These plants support over 900 jobs and over $250 million yearly in economic activity in our State. SB-129 is critical to their survival. Without SB-129 the remaining biomass plants are likely to close by 2018 and these jobs will vanish.

The biomass industry is also critical to New Hampshires state-wide natural resource-based economy and its scenic character. It is the one area where our energy policy intersects with our natural resource policy. Not only does the biomass industry produce electricity, but the biomass plants also serve as the market for low-grade wood. With NH being the second most forested state in the country, biomass serves as a critical market for the states logging, forestry, sawmill, and landowner communities. Proper forestry practices produce healthy forests for recreation, wildlife habitat and an annual $1.4 billion forest products industry.

SB-129 also supports and advances over 1,200 solar related jobs in New Hampshire. Solar continues to be a growing industry in New Hampshire. More jobs have been added in the clean energy job sector than in most other N..H. industries. These jobs also appeal to a younger workforce something New Hampshire desperately needs. SB-129 supports our solar industry and also expands its benefit to low-to-moderate income residential customers. As we continue to promote New Hampshire as the state to locate business, we need to focus on growing our clean energy sector. Without these opportunities, clean energy companies will continue to shift and expand jobs in neighboring states.

Opponents have tried to label this bill as a hidden tax. This is far from the truth. The RPS was passed over 10 years ago. The programs and industries that have participated in the RPS have yielded significant benefit to the states ratepayers in terms of energy diversification, state economic activity, thousands of jobs, and reducing peak demand, all which contribute to lowering electric rates and promotion of a strong New Hampshire economy. The RPS must be updated to remain competitive in our region. Many residential, commercial, municipal, and industrial customers have taken advantage of the RPS to lower their electricity cost. We want this to continue.

How do you determine whether a law and program is worth the investment? We look at the return on investment. Although RPS opponents continue to call it a subsidy and claim higher rates, the fact is our states renewable energy industries and programs provide value in lowering bills, creating and sustaining New Hampshire jobs, and providing economic activity that has a ripple effect in our economy. If we lost the biomass industry tomorrow we will see small business bankruptcies, lost taxes, lost jobs and an increase in unemployment in every region of our state. Instead, our support of these renewable energy industries means we continue to receive the benefits of reduced electricity costs brought about by insuring we have effective and updated renewable energy policies, like those in SB-129. At the end of the day, the benefits in terms of jobs and economic activity FAR outweigh the cost.

It is time to move forward with this bi-partisan effort to support and sustain our renewableenergy industries. Its time to pass SB-129 and support our N.H. energy and related sector jobs.

(Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, and Dan Feltes, D-Concord, serve in the New Hampshire Sentate.)

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State Sen. Jeb Bradley & State Sen. Dan Feltes - Time to pass SB ... - The Laconia Daily Sun

As the provinces political situation begins to take shape, many are still wondering what the agreement between the NDP and the Greens will mean for BC.

We asked UNBC political science lecturer Jason Morris for some insight.

While many people fear minority governments, Morris says they can foster cooperation in the legislature.

When even shutting down the legislature for the day typically requires a majority vote, there can be a lot more discussion going on to try to articulate and represent the views of British Columbians.

But he acknowledges there are a lot of potential pitfalls ahead for a minority government and maybe especially for the Green caucus.

Minority governments dont tend to get as much done and this plan of the BC NDP and the BC Greens is probably even more ambitious than some majority governments would attempt. With [the Green Partys] still small caucus size, they wont be given, to my understanding, ministerial representation and they might soon feel like theyre a little bit dwarfed by the larger caucus of the BC NDP in terms of influence.

Morris says minority governments typically run well for about two years but reaching a full four year term is trickier.

What about our incumbent Premier? Some have criticized Christy Clarks decision to force a vote of confidence in the legislature but Morris says Clark is within her rights.

She still remains the premier so long as the legislature and the lieutenant governor agree to that. What she will certainly be facing is a challenge within her party to retain the leadership.

Theres also been some speculation as to who will hold the position of Speaker of the House. The speaker is elected by secret ballot and isusually from whichever party forms thegovernment. When the NDP and Greens work together, theyll hold a majority in the legislature but only of one seat.

So if a Green or NDP MLA becomes speaker, the legislature will be deadlocked. While the Speaker is called upon to break ties, theres been speculation that the NDP and Greens may try to elect a Liberal speaker. Some have called that move undemocratic but Morris disagrees.

I wouldnt say its undemocratic.The role of the speaker is like the mediator or the chairperson of the business of the legislature and, as such, can come from any party.

Both federal and provincial legislatures have had opposition speakers in the past when theres been a minority government.

Many residents of northern BC arent thrilled at the idea of an NDP Green government.

UNBC Political Science lecturer Jason Morris says the parties will have their work cut out for them, dealing with northern economics.

Historically, northern BC has been of an economy that is natural resource based and it can be very challenging to diversify beyond that when the area has never been really about that.

He says John Horgan should take the lessons of his partys past to heart.

Surely Horgan could remember the last time his party was in power in the 1990s, the severe challenges with balancing environmental and logging considerations that even led to a storming of the legislature and damage and violence.

Both Horgan and Weaver were criticized for not spending much time North of the 50th during the campaign.

The rest is here:

Some answers to your questions and concerns as BC inches toward a new government - MY PG NOW

New technologies are replacing old ones, automation and robot-based workforce are replacing human labour, and the world is at the threshold of the fourth industrial revolution. The leading nations have long been investing in technologies of the future and creating consortiums that bring together the government, business and science. In Russia, the tech gap is dragging the economy down, and the country needs a proactive approach to develop technologies and markets of the future.

Experts estimate that Russia is about three to four times behind the leading nations in digitisation of its economy.

To ensure a shift from a resource-based economy towards a high-tech one, in December2016 Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the Executive Order on the Scientific and Technological Development Strategy of the Russian Federation.

The National Technology Initiative(NTI) was launched with a goal to define new markets and key technologies of the future, and to offer a package of measures supporting development of products and services on those markets.

Key NTItechnologies include digital design and modelling, new materials, additive technologies (3Dprinting), BigData, neurotechnologies, artificial intelligence and control systems, genomics and synthetic biology, bionics, etc. Going forward, their development could take the country to a leading position in the global technology market.

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TASS: SPIEF-2017 - Big challenges: how to stop preparing for the ... - TASS

On 19 May 2017, Hassan Rouhani was elected President of Iran for a second four-year term. Among the challenges he will face: the pursuit of transition to a knowledge economy in a context of low foreign direct investment (FDI).

Although the Iranian economy returned to positive growth in 2016 of about 6.4%, this rebound can largely be ascribed to the return to near-capacity oil exports since the United Nations' Security Council's endorsement of the nuclear agreement in July 2015 led to the easing of international sanctions. According to the World Bank(1), integration of Iran's banking sector with the global banking system has been slow since the sanctions were lifted. This has impeded the foreign direct investment to Iran and trade which will be crucial for the development of Iran's non-oil sector.

A focus on using human capital to create wealth

The UNESCO Science Report recalls that the government first set its sights on moving from a resource-based economy to one based on knowledge in its 20-year development plan, Vision 2025, which was adopted in 2005.

This transition became a priority after international sanctions were progressively hardened from 2006 onwards and the oil embargo tightened its grip. In February 2014, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei introduced what he called the 'economy of resistance', an economic plan advocating innovation and a lesser dependence on imports that reasserted key provisions of Vision 2025.

Vision 2025 challenged policy-makers to look beyond extractive industries to the country's human capital for wealth creation. This led to the adoption of incentive measures to raise the number of university students and academics, on the one hand, and to stimulate problem-solving research and industrial research, on the other.

For instance, in order to ensure that 50% of academic research was oriented towards socio-economic needs and problem-solving, the Fifth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2010'2015) tied promotion to the orientation of research projects. It also made provision for research and technology centres to be set up on campus and for universities to develop linkages with industry.

Vision 2025 foresaw an investment of US$ 3.7 trillion by 2025 to finance the transition to a knowledge economy. It was intended for one-third of this amount to come from abroad but, so far, FDI has remained elusive. It has contributed less than 1% of GDP since 2006 and just 0.5% of GDP in 2014.

Much of the US$ 3.7 trillion earmarked in Vision 2025 is to go towards supporting investment in research and development by knowledge-based firms and the commercialization of research results. A law passed in 2010 provides an appropriate mechanism, the Innovation and Prosperity Fund. According to the fund's president, Behzad Soltani, 4600 billion Iranian rials (circa US$ 171.4 million) had been allocated to 100 knowledge-based companies by late 2014. Public and private universities wishing to set up private firms may also apply to the fund.

Domestic expenditure on research stood at 0.7% of GDP in 2008 and 0.3% of GDP in 2012. Iranian businesses contributed about 11% of the total in 2008. The government's limited budget is being directed towards supporting small innovative businesses, business incubators and science and technology parks, the type of enterprises which employ university graduates.

Most high-tech companies are state-owned

Some 37 industries trade shares on the Tehran Stock Market. These industries include the petrochemical, automotive, mining, steel, iron, copper, agriculture and telecommunications industries, 'a unique situation in the Middle East', recalls the UNESCO Science Report.

Within the country's Fifth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2010'2015), a National Development Fund has been established to finance efforts to diversify the economy. By 2013, the fund was receiving 26% of oil and gas revenue.

Most of the companies developing high technologies remain state-owned, including in the automotive and pharmaceutical industries, despite plans to privatize 80% of state-owned companies by 2014. It was estimated in 2014 that the private sector accounted for about 30% of the Iranian pharmaceutical market.

The Industrial Development and Renovation Organization (IDRO) controls about 290 state-owned companies. IDRO has set up special purpose companies in each high-tech sector to co-ordinate investment and business development. These entities are the Life Science Development Company, Information Technology Development Centre, Iran InfoTech Development Company and the Emad Semiconductor Company. In 2010, IDRO set up a capital fund to finance the intermediary stages of product- and technology-based business development within these companies.

Broad internet access will be essential for the development of a knowledge economy. In an interview with NBC News in September 2013, President Rouhani pledged to expand internet access, which reached 31% of the population in 2013. 'We want the people, in their private lives, to be completely free', he said. 'In today's world, having access to information and the right of free dialogue and the right to think freely is a right of all peoples, including Iranians. The people must have full access to all information worldwide.' By 2016, one in two (49%) Iranians had internet access.

A surge in university rolls

In line with the goals of Vision 2025, policy-makers have made a concerted effort to increase the number of students and academic researchers. To this end, the government raised its commitment to higher education to 1% of GDP in 2006. After peaking at this level, higher education spending stood at 0.86% of GDP in 2015.

Higher education spending has resisted better than public expenditure on education overall. The latter peaked at 4.7% of GDP in 2007 before slipping to 2.9% of GDP in 2015.

The result has been a steep rise in tertiary enrolment. Between 2007 and 2013, student rolls swelled from 2.8 million to 4.4 million in the country's public and private universities. Some 45% of students were enrolled in private universities in 2011. There were more women studying than men in 2007, a proportion that has since dropped back slightly to 48%.

Enrolment has progressed in most fields. The most popular in 2013 were social sciences (1.9 million students, of which 1.1 million women) and engineering (1.5 million, of which 373 415 women). Women also made up two-thirds of medical students.

One in eight bachelor's students go on to enroll in a master's/PhD programme. This is comparable to the ratio in the Republic of Korea and Thailand (one in seven) and Japan (one in ten).

Science and engineering attracting more PhD graduates

The number of PhD graduates has progressed at a similar pace as university enrolment overall. Natural sciences and engineering have proved increasingly popular among both sexes, even if engineering remains a male-dominated field. In 2012, women made up one-third of PhD graduates, being drawn primarily to health (40% of PhD students), natural sciences (39%), agriculture (33%) and humanities and arts (31%). According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 38% of master's and PhD students were studying science and engineering fields in 2011.

There has been an interesting evolution in the gender balance among PhD students. Whereas the share of female PhD graduates in health remained stable at 38'39% between 2007 and 2012, it rose in all three other broad fields. Most spectacular was the leap in female PhD graduates in agricultural sciences from 4% to 33% but there was also a marked progression in science (from 28% to 39%) and engineering (from 8% to 16% of PhD students).

Although data are not readily available on the number of PhD graduates choosing to stay on as faculty, the relatively modest level of domestic research spending would suggest that academic research suffers from inadequate funding. At the time of preparation of the Fifth Five-Year Development Plan (2010'2015), the government was still optimistic about raising research spending to 3% of GDP by 2015.

A surge in the research pool

According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the number of (full-time equivalent) researchers rose from 711 to 736 per million inhabitants between 2009 and 2010. This corresponds to an increase of more than 2 000 researchers, from 52 256 to 54 813. The world average is 1 083 per million inhabitants. One in four (26%) Iranian researchers is a woman, which is close to the world average (28%).

In 2008, half of researchers were employed in academia (51.5%), one-third in the government sector (33.6%) and just under one in seven in the business sector (15.0%). Within the business sector, 22% of researchers were women in 2013, the same proportion as in Ireland, Israel, Italy and Norway.

'Once more recent data become available, we may find that the business enterprise sector has been hiring more researchers than before', suggests the report. The number of firms declaring research activities more than doubled between 2006 and 2011, from 30 935 to 64 642. The increasingly tough sanctions regime oriented the Iranian economy towards the domestic market and, by erecting barriers to foreign imports, encouraged knowledge-based enterprises to localize production.

A desire to interact with the world

The Fifth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2010'2015) fixed the target of attracting 25 000 foreign students to Iran by 2015. By 2013, there were about 14 000 foreign students attending Iranian universities, most of whom came from Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria and Turkey.

In a speech delivered at the University of Tehran in October 2014, President Rouhani recommended greater interaction with the outside world. He said that 'scientific evolution will be achieved by criticism ['] and the expression of different ideas. ['] Scientific progress is achieved, if we are related to the world. ['] We have to have a relationship with the world, not only in foreign policy but also with regard to the economy, science and technology. ['] I think it is necessary to invite foreign professors to come to Iran and our professors to go abroad and even to create an English university to be able to attract foreign students.'

According to the report, there is a lot of scope for the development of twinning between universities for teaching and research, as well as for student exchanges. One in four Iranian PhD students are already studying abroad (25.7% in 2012). The top destinations are Malaysia, the USA, Canada, Australia, UK, France, Sweden and Italy. In 2012, one in seven international students in Malaysia was of Iranian origin. Malaysia has the advantage of being one of the rare countries which do not impose visas on Iranians. It is also a Muslim country with a similar level of income.

Although sanctions have caused a shift in Iran's trading partners from West to East, scientific collaboration has remained largely oriented towards the West. Between 2008 and 2014, Iran's top partners for scientific collaboration were the USA, Canada, the UK and Germany, in that order. Iranian scientists co-authored almost twice as many articles with their counterparts in the USA (6 377) as with their next-closest collaborators in Canada (3 433) and the UK (3 318).

Iran has submitted a formal request to participate in a project which is building an International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in France by 2018. This megaproject is developing nuclear fusion technology to lay the groundwork for tomorrow's nuclear fusion power plants. The project involves the European Union, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation and USA. A team from ITER visited Iran in November 2016 to deepen its understanding of Iran's fusion-related programmes.(2)

Iran is also stepping up its scientific collaboration with developing countries. In 2008, Iran's Nanotechnology Initiative Council established an Econano network to promote the scientific and industrial development of nanotechnology among fellow members of the Economic Cooperation Organization, namely Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Iran hosts several international research centres, including the following established between 2010 and 2014 under the auspices of the United Nations: the Regional Centre for Science Park and Technology Incubator Development (UNESCO, est. 2010), the International Centre on Nanotechnology (UNIDO, est. 2012) and the Regional Educational and Research Centre for Oceanography for Western Asia (UNESCO, est. 2014).

Malaysia is Iran's fifth-closest collaborator in science and India ranks tenth, after Australia, France, Italy and Japan. One-quarter of Iranian articles had a foreign co-author in 2014, a stable proportion since 2002. Scientists have been encouraged to publish in international journals in recent years, a policy that is in line with Vision 2025.

The volume of scientific articles authored by Iranians in international journals has augmented considerably since 2005, according to Thomson Reuters' Web of Science (Science Citation Index Expanded). Iranian scientists now publish widely in international journals in engineering and chemistry, as well as in life sciences and physics. Women contribute about 13% of articles, with a focus on chemistry, medical sciences and social sciences. Contributing to this trend is the fact that PhD programmes in Iran now require students to have publications in the Web of Science.

(1)World Bank profile of Iran, 2016

(2)ITER team visits Iran (2016)

Source: Ashtarian, K. (2015) Iran. In: UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030; full chapter on Iran.

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Iran in pursuit of a knowledge economy - Malaysia Sun (press release)

In the first part of our article on the UNCTAD report on Iran, we mentionedthat on the path towards a knowledge-based economy Iran has developed a strong educated human resource base. In this part we will illustrate other aspects of the progress which Iran has made towards achieving this goal.

Upon the realization of the need to shift from a natural-resource-based economy to a knowledge-based economy, policymakers in Iran, through different policy measures and initiatives, have tried to facilitate the transition. Laws that aim to support knowledge-based firms (KBFs) have been devised and as of October, 2016 2732 KBFs have been benefiting from the facilities, both financial and non-financial. Today these firms account for almost 70,000 employees and $6.6 billion in annual turnover.

Thriving KBFs rely upon solid infrastructure, which has improved significantly in recent years. Mobile phone penetration rate has increased from 12% in 2005, to 93% in 2015 and 44% of the population used the internet in 2015, compared to the 8% in 2005. Despite these facts, ICT infrastructure requires higher investment to facilitate e-commerce and e-government, and to improve ICT services and make them more efficient for businesses.

Other types of infrastructure are also critical to develop a diverse economy. Transportation infrastructure in Iran needs huge investments for modernizing and increasing capacity in road, aviation and maritime transportation. High production capacity and distribution, good coverage and quality, the need to improve efficiency of electricity production, distribution and energy intensity, and a recent and gradual shift towards renewable energies are the main features of Irans power infrastructure.

The government has added to its efforts to build schools, universities, laboratories, S&T parks and incubators. S&T parks were introduced by the government in 2002 to facilitate the development of a knowledge-based economy. There are currently 39 active S&T parks in Iran. These parks provide space, facilities and other incentives for KBFs to develop new technologies/products/services and to commercialize research results. As of today, Pardis Technology Park, for example, accommodates more than 150 KBFs. Innovation accelerators and innovation centers have also been on the rise in recent years.

Investments have also been made to establish incubators and laboratories to develop and produce marketable technology-based products and processes. Reportedly, 170 incubators, 12,594 research and technology development laboratories, 233 private research institutes, 356 research institutes affiliated with universities, and 71 research institutes affiliated with the government, were active in 2016.

To increase funding for R&D, from the current 0.47% of the GDP, a figure way below target, to 1% of the GDP, the government has implemented a rule that requires public organizations and agencies to spend at least 1% of their budget on R&D. Another interesting fact about R&D funding in Iran is that unlike in many developed countries where the private business sector accounts for most of the R&D, in Iran the business sector only accounted for 20% of the total R&D spending in 2010. In the same year, the government and the higher education system financed 41% and 37% of R&D spending, respectively.

While it can be confidently stated that Iran has made significant progress towards a knowledge-based economy, especially in terms of human resources and infrastructure, the overall impact of STI on the economy remains inadequate. To utilize the full potential of these resources emphasis should be placed on creating new patents and producing export-oriented innovative products/services.

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Iran Swiftly Moving Towards a Knowledge-Based Economy Part 2 - TechRasa (press release) (blog)

Forbes

Zuckerberg-Backed Andela Training Company Expands Into Uganda Forbes Things are moving from a resource-based economy and its shifting to entrepreneurial, knowledge-based economy. It's not only shaping the country but the whole continent." Zuckerberg also visited Kenya, which he praised as the "world leader" in mobile ... and more »

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Zuckerberg-Backed Andela Training Company Expands Into Uganda - Forbes

The glossy 16-page magazine is meant to burnish the Range's reputation, said Mark Phillips, commissioner of the Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board.

Often, Phillips said he encounters "very antiquated visions of the region" that date back to the days of miners working with picks and shovels instead of state-of-the-art technology. He said the notion of the Range as an economically depressed area also seems to persist.

Phillips said the reality is that mining has been a relatively stable year-round enterprise since the 1950s, with most modern disruptions due more to unenforced trade policies than structural industry flaws.

"This is modern mining. This isn't the old cyclical thing. But people still want to paint that picture, and we're trying to change that antiquated narrative to the new narrative," he said.

In all, 11 entities invested a combined $40,000 to produce and print more than 50,000 copies of the special insert in collaboration with staff from Twin Cities Business. The publication was distributed to the business magazine's subscribers earlier this week and will also be inserted into this Sunday's edition of the News Tribune.

With a nod to Bob Dylan, a native son, the publication is called: "The Iron Range: The times they are a-changin," and its sponsors include mining interests, chambers of commerce, the Iron Range Tourism Bureau and the IRRRB.

Nancy Norr, director of regional development for Minnesota Power, said young leaders on the Range "are eager to take their place in building and growing this region and working together to emphasize what brings us together as a region, as opposed to what from time to time divides us."

"It seems that way too often, there are organizations working to drive a wedge between the Iron Range and Duluth. That is really based on a false premise: that we're not able to support our thriving industries in this region, including our natural resource-based economy, and still maintain that incredible pristine environment here in Duluth, as well as on the Iron Range," Norr said.

"Today, I think we say with pride, and we invite others to repeat this: We can have both jobs and clean water. And we are stronger, as a region, working together," she said

Duluth Mayor Emily Larson noted how her city and the Range mutually benefit from one another's successes.

"Of course we have some differences. Some are real. Some are perceived. But if we are smart, those differences are part of what can bring us closer and make us better and stronger, because when we spend our time focusing on our strengths, we find ways in which our efforts and success can multiply," she said.

"Our values as a city, and those of our region and the Iron Range are never in conflict," Larson said. "They actually are in concert. We can and should be united in the economic realities of a diverse and inclusive regional economy."

Besides promoting ferrous mining, the publication also touts the prospect of proposed new copper-nickel mines as a source of future Iron Range jobs.

But those same mines continue to stir controversy.

John Doberstein, who is a member of a group called Duluth for Clean Water, spoke out against the proposed PolyMet development promoted in the special section.

"Although we applaud and support the technological advancements in iron mining, we know that there are no examples of safe copper mines (modern or old) in water-rich environments like the Duluth Complex. In fact, putting a copper mine in the Superior National Forest near Lake Superior and the St. Louis River is the worst place imaginable considering that this type of mining, which has never been a part of our rich mining heritage, has a devastating track record and comes with far too many risks," he said.

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Mining interests, partners seek to polish Iron Range's image - Duluth News Tribune

Retired City Manager Kurt Starman gives his thoughts on the challenges ahead for Redding. Sean Longoria

From left, Redding City Council members Adam McElvain, Francie Sullivan, Brent Weaver, Kristen Schreder and Julie Winter meet May 15 to interview candidates for the city's new manager.(Photo: Sean Longoria)

Redding is down to possibly its final candidates to replace now-retired City Manager Kurt Starman.

The City Council on Friday morning will interview the two candidates just a few weeks after it interviewed a larger field of four. The closed-session council meeting starts at 8:15 a.m.

I anticipate a very robust debate between the five of us as we determine what direction to go, Mayor Brent Weaver said.

More: Tippin named interim city manager as Redding continues search

Weaver anticipates the interviews to last all morning, he said. Council members may announce whether theyve selected someone after that meeting, though the official hiring would be done at a future council meeting.

Officials still arent saying who theyve interviewed or revealing the identity of the final two candidates.

They got our interest enough to where they made it to this round, Weaver said. They have backgrounds that fit what werelooking for.

Last week the council interviewed four people in closed session. A total of 34 people applied for the post, said Bill Avery of Avery & Associates, whos conducting the search for the city.

More: Redding council interviews city manager hopefuls

Starmans last day was Friday. In a Record Searchlight interview a day earlier, Starman shared the qualities hed like to see in a successor.

For me, at the very top of that list is someone who and this is a given, I suppose, at least in my world someone who is honest and ethical and has high integrity, he said. Someone who is going to represent the city of Redding well and be the face andvoice of the city. Really, be a public servant and serve the community and serve the organization.

Retired Redding City Manager Kurt Starman weighs in on the qualities he'd like to see in the next person who gets the job. Sean Longoria

Among the challenges facing Starmans successor and the city are the areas continued transition from a resource-based economy to something different, increased pension costs, an aging workforce and the citys tendency to focus on the negative without recognizing its own merits,Starman said.

We cant be Pollyanna-ish and ignore challenges or ignore the problem but on the other hand I dont think we should ignore the beauty of our area, the potential of Redding, Starman said. Im very confident Redding has a bright future. Well continue to grow and do well.

More: Redding closer to naming next city manager

Also on that list are pension cost increases hitting local governments across the state this year.

For me, its probably my No. 1 attribute Im looking for is how a new city manager will really interpret where were at financially and how were going to react to that, Weaver said. Are we just going to remain status quo and see real-time services die on the vine or are we going to try new things, take risks, be innovative, all of the above?

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Second round of city manager interviews Friday - Redding Record Searchlight