The State of the Mobile Economy: Innovation, Investment and Economic Impact Around the World

According to recent estimates, the global mobile economy now totals $1.6 trillion and industry revenues are expected to rise to $2 trillion by 2017. But the surge of economic growth driven by mobile technology has been uneven around the world – some countries are experiencing unprecedented growth in their mobile ecosystems while others have not. What is behind this incongruity? What societal and regulatory factors foster innovation? How does a country’s legal and patent protection create an environment for entrepreneurs? Why are some countries propelling their mobile economies forward while others languish?

On September 10, the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings hosted an event on mobile innovation, investment, and invention around the world. Discussion centered on significant differences across nations in how much they invest in innovation, create new ideas, and provide legal protections that are important for small inventors and mobile entrepreneurs. Brookings Vice President Darrell West also shared findings from a forthcoming paper that identifies which nations excel at investing in research and development and patent protections.  Discussion also focuses on attitudinal data from 17 countries about mobile invention and its relationship to economic growth.

This event is part of the Mobile Economy Project. Join the conversation on Twitter at #TechCTI.