The Center on the Global Information Economy (COGIE) seeks to develop better understandings of the unique challenges facing countries in their quest for growth through the use of information technology and information resources.

Differences in endowments, governance rules (such as regulatory policy, property rights, community input structures, curriculum development) and experiences raise questions of when and how and in what mix technology and institutions enhance growth in both advanced economies and developing markets. The Center examines how these mixes of governance rules and technologies are determined and which mixes work best for economic growth and social welfare. We work with governments, industry, educators, trade associations, consumer groups and community organizations in developed and developing regions to form new understanding and policies that foster economic growth in underdeveloped countries.

The Center’s mission is born of the recognition that new information technologies have altered the character of economic development. The shift in the economies of North America and Western Europe from manufacturing and towards constant innovation in the development, production and distribution of goods and services has changed the nature of economic growth. With this shift in economically advanced societies, the gap between the advanced economies and developing ones has widened. Information technology, however, also offers the promise of rapid economic growth centered in skills and information technology for emerging markets. The Center develops policies and understandings that help exploit these possibilities.