IKED is an independent, international non-profit organisation focusing on the emerging issues of the knowledge-based economy. The organisation strives to link the primary actors forming the knowledge-based economy: government, industry, academia and civil society – facilitating international networks and policymaking forums; leading projects and forming recommendations to turn policies into action.

IKED is based in the Nordic region, which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. These five countries are ranked among the world leaders in investment in, and use of, information and technology, scientific research and broad- based education. They demonstrate strengths in a spectrum of activities, from high-tech industries and business services to natural resource-based production. On the other hand, they are also faced with challenges in adjustments and renewal. The organisation has close cooperation with the Nordic Council of Ministers, as well as with a range of public and private institutions in the individual Nordic countries.

At the same time, IKED is engaged in global exchanges and learning process, working with a range of countries covering the most advanced as well as some of the least developed countries in the world. The purpose is not transferring of one model to others, but to facilitate mutual learning in policy design and implementation for mutual benefits. IKED's network, encompassing both the public and the private spheres, provides a broad base of experience and guidance which IKED engages and expands in efforts to support the development and better use of knowledge worldwide.

IKED addresses the driving forces and consequences of new technologies, including information and communications technology (ICT), the rapidly changing innovation processes, and the conditions required for dynamic enterprise development and entrepreneurship. At the same time, IKED is strongly engaged in organisational change, health and well-being. Addressing crosscutting horizontal policy dimensions of critical issues, IKED is a venue for exploring broader economic and social ramifications relevant to the ascent of the knowledge economy.

Based on the commitment to active exchange and international cooperation on issues of the knowledge-based economy, IKED collaborates closely with public authorities, private sector associations, research institutions as well as international organisations.

Background on the knowledge based economy
As economies move into the post-industrial era, the rise of the knowledge-based economy is attracting attention around the world. New industries are being born, traditional ones are reshaped, and old barriers are torn down, as economies are transformed with newly evolving technologies, innovation processes, and practices. Knowledge is being created at a pace never seen before, and there is a rapid and continuous evolution in the needs of individuals to acquire new skills, and for organisations to manage new ways of learning. Technical progress, including ICT, is intertwined with globalisation in the form of expanding international flows, not only of finance but also the diffusion of new technologies and human talent.
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Issues and areas addressed
IKED addresses the issues that are associated with the rise of the "knowledge-based" economy, sometimes referred to as the "learning society", the "information society", or "the new economy". It brings together in-depth expertise on various aspects of international economics, industrial organisation, innovation, technology, enterprise development, organisational change, spatial processes and institutional dynamics. It addresses, e.g., the driving forces and consequences of new technologies, including information and communications technology (ICT), biotechnology, and the conditions required for dynamic enterprise development. Looking across traditional barriers, IKED forms a venue for addressing the broader economic & social implications related to the ascent of the knowledge economy.
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Specific features
Focusing on the emerging issues of the knowledge-based economy, IKED offers a bridge between different kinds of expertise on the one hand, and concrete initiatives on the other hand. Those initiatives include a mixture of policy reforms, programmes and projects engaging governments, regional authorities, the private sector, and other actors. The distinctive features of IKED include:
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