Author(s)

M. Shokry

Abstract

The global context of urbanization, urges the dramatic spread of gradual accumulation of human resources, economic powers and political responsibilities within cities, the contemporary context presents an urgent impetus to evaluate how cities can lead and innovate. The world is entering a new cycle of development, with the economic crisis and restructuring of 2007–2010 largely over and new energy infusing the investment and sustainable development agenda once more. The first part of the paper is trying to establish some criterion of linking sustainable development mode of the developing world societies with type of knowledge transfer and exchange within regions through a group of clusters or innovation hubs. Also it’s trying to prove that the typology of knowledge production centers (science and technology parks, innovation hubs, research parks, etc.) can be a sustainable flexible model to be adopted in different types of communities. The second and third parts are paying more attention on the aspects of sustainability within knowledge and innovation clusters: definitions, how they can emerge, flourish or collapse within a dynamic flow of knowledge, people and ideas worldwide. The final part sheds some lights on the case of the MENA region and its various societies. Starting by classifying these regions acceding to its knowledge capacity index (KCI). It’s also keen to come to grips with the major problems that afflict sustaining knowledge society in MENA societies, whether in research, education, or the use of the new technological mediums that underlie today’s knowledge networks.

Keywords

innovation clusters, knowledge exchange, urban policy, MENA, science parks, knowledge societies