Latin America 2007 (20)

Theme: Innovation and trends

Innovation in the information and communication technology, ICT, sector drives a significant portion of the world's economic growth. As in all sectors, novelty and fashion certainly pushes the market, nevertheless, the ICT driven economic boost is predominantly a reflection of the fundamental contributions these technologies bring to the economy.

New hardware spawns new software, applications and content, and vice versa. Innovation in the ICT sector, the new technologies, products, services and applications increases productivity, increase efficiency, reduce costs and build revenues of provider and user alike. Innovation in the sector creates not only new business, but also new, previously all but unimaginable, businesses and jobs. Due to ITC innovations, existing businesses - through foresight or necessity - re-invent themselves, redefining, creating or eliminating jobs and new companies spring up overnight to take advantage of the, at times illusory, new market opportunity. Innovations in the sector give many a policy maker and regulator sleepless nights, but the innovations also make possible vast simplifications and improvements in government services; e-government is revolutionising the potential and responsiveness of even the most tight-budgeted governments around the globe.

This issue will examine the latest innovations and trends. Connect-World will ask leading thinkers in the region to give us their opinions regarding the most significant technology trends and how they will change our lives, the businesses around us, the economy and the course of regional development in the years to come.