Question :

(a) "America's investors are as busy as they have ever been and its entrepreneurs are seizing on their ideas with the same alacrity as always. Investment in research and development as a share of output recently matched the previous record, 2.9% of GDP, set at the height of the space race. America is home to 27 of the 30 universities that put out the most cited scientific research and it is still good at developing these ideas." Source: The Economist, 16 March 2013

Building new knowledge through research and development as well as the use of technology, is today considered to be of utmost importance in order to increase a Nation's competiveness. Discuss the extent to which knowledge building through research, development and innovation can generate benefits both for firms and the economy.

(b) What is a knowledge audit and why do firms find it necessary to conduct such a knowledge audit in order to drive their knowledge management initiative.