Conférence de Presse, d’un certain Raymond Barre en 1989 :

(vu ici page 99)

IGWEL : The Impact of Science and Technology on Global Economic Growth In a press conference, former French Prime Minister Raymond Barre summarized the discussions held at the Informal Gathering of World Economic Leaders, or IGWEL. He focused in particular on the global economy’s long-term growth prospects and the development of the knowledge economy :

Last point : the new growth. This is the result of the discussion we had this morning with the scientists and with the businessmen. I can summarize the discussion in the present way. We are entering a new phase of long-term output growth after two decades of stagnating economic growth. But this process of growth will be characterized by a new concept of growth. First, there will be a process of growth led by science and technology. The consequence of that is that in every country human investment appears as the most important factor for growth. Human investment means not only investment in education, but also investment in research and science. We have to develop in every country the knowledge that is at the disposal of the community because knowledge is becoming the most important asset of nations. The scientists and the businessmen reminded us of the fact that the education cycle is now a life cycle. There is not in a human life a part of life devoted to acquiring knowledge and a part of life devoted to using this knowledge. Knowledge is evolving so quickly that it’s absolutely necessary to have continual formation. The education system has to take account of the fact that it has to create a new behaviour of people. But what appears necessary is an international coordination of scientific efforts and an interesting idea was proposed : when nations have to discuss international networks they have to adopt rules of standardization, rules of regulation, not to protect industries but for the protection of the users of those networks of information. This is a growth led by science and technology but this new growth will be an ecological growth. In the past ecology was linked to the notion of zero growth, today ecology is linked to the notion of growth ; but in the past we accepted growth at any cost, now we consider that the process of growth has to take account of some ecological constraints, like the greenhouse effect, like the efficient use of energy, and this concept of an ecological growth appears fundamental for maintaining growth in the long term.