Abstract:

Today economic activities in developed countries has ceased to be conventional way; instead, it has turned into activities that knowledge-base technological sophistication increases and that the formations of new firms often experience. The transformation in these economies has provided that the information has to be considered as one of the most important factors of production. Economies which produce and use the knowledge effectively in the production process are described as knowledge economics. Creativity, productivity, competition and innovation potential are very strong in knowledge economies. Thus, according to the World Bank’s Knowledge Economy Index (2012) it has seen that Sweden, Finland and Denmark are the top three countries that they have both a high potential for innovation and competitiveness and productivity. The most important elements of knowledge economy is information and communication technologies. The effective use of these technologies by firms and people brings about efficiency gains by reducing transaction costs. At the same time, the role of information and communication technologies is very high in achieving the competitiveness of countries in the international arena and increasing the quality of scientific research institutions. Based on the important role of information in all areas of life, in this study, the relationship between knowledge economy and economic growth was analyzed using panel data method in OECD countries for 2000-2010 periods. In line with expectations, the results of the analysis showed that there was a positive relationship between information economy and economic growth

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