ABSTRACT

Many around the world express surprise that the country in the world with the highest level of broadband penetration is South Korea. The fact is that this kind of science and technology advance was generated by recent South Korean leadership, innovation, and investment priorities; and the early results were surprising to many. While such technology and science-driven policies in South Korea were adding value and new opportunities to its economy and society, many regions of the United States, for example, and many areas of other parts of the global economy – in both developed and developing areas – remain unserved, or underserved by affordable broadband access. Also, the institutions of many of these same areas are relatively inactive in stem-cell research because of values debates and related regulatory prohibitions. This is the kind of digital development and intelligent development unevenness that characterizes today’s global knowledge economy and network society. This is the context; this reality presents opportunity and development potential for the regions and localities of the world with the knowledge and organized will to plan and to act.