PCF5 Sub-theme: Livelihoods // In this paper we explore a solution for Jamaica and the Caribbean to meet the four critical requisites, as defined by the World Development Report 2002*, to be able to fully participate in the global knowledge economy by introducing a business/education model known as a Knowledge City or more currently, a Knowledge Innovative Zone. Our paper will layout the background of Knowledge cities, the role they play in catering to the educational, socio-cultural, business and governmental needs of many nations. The paper will demonstrate the potential benefits for the Caribbean to develop its own Knowledge City/Zone thereby addressing our critical need for affordable, accessible, quality tertiary education, job creation, increased exports, and an overall enhanced economic status for the nation. // There are four critical requisites for a country to be able to fully participate in the global knowledge economy: // (a) A regulatory and economic environment that enables the free flow of knowledge, investment in Information and Communications Technology (ICT), and encourage entrepreneurship; // (b) An educated and skilled population to create, share and use knowledge; // (c) A dynamic information infrastructure ranging from radio to the internet, in order to facilitate the effective communication, dissemination and processing of information; // (d) A network of research centers, universities, think tanks, private enterprises and community groups to tap into the growing stock of global knowledge, assimilate and adapt it to local needs, and create new knowledge. // Subsequent to this report a revolutionary change took place in the educational sector. It was readily recognized that that global knowledge commonwealth was replacing the world of nations. The new economy would be based upon an unlimited supply of intangible value. // Through networking and symbiotic partnering, the wealth of successive generations would be impacted. Thus, a new economic world order would emerge – one that was based increasingly on knowledge, innovation and international collaboration. New business models would need to be created to replace the industrial-age past models. These models would need to connect humans across time and space utilizing human, financial and technological advances and providing a foundation for unprecedented global innovation characterized as zones of activity. Thus, models for Knowledge Cities, now referred to as Knowledge Innovation Zones, (KIZ) were created. // The internet has facilitated the growth of KIZs. What began as an attempt to catalyse co-operation among economic sectors, including government, industry and academia (now termed cross-sector integration), has matured into initiatives that sustain interdependencies within and across industries, municipalities, national and regional borders. // Paper ID 622