Digital Transformation Strategy: The Bicentennial of Costa Rica 2018-2022 3. Industry 4.0 and knowledge societies 3.2 Knowledge societies UNESCO defines knowledge societies as those based on the creation, dissemination and use of information and knowledge. Furthermore, they are defined as organizations structured by persons, based on contemporary knowledge, and representing new systems of quality of life. In these societies, the conditions to generate and process information and knowledge have been modified and enhanced by a technological revolution that is centered in the processing of and access to information and in applying new information and communication technologies to generate knowledge. In their economies, knowledge is acquired, disseminated and applied to improve the economic and social development. For its part, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) talks about “knowledge-driven economies” when it addresses the complex, global change that leads to the rise of Knowledge Societies and In these societies, the driving force that moves people and their activities forward is knowledge, which is created, shared and used to better their quality of life and thrive. For this purpose, the ICTs play a major role in the production and management of data, information and knowledge. In ecosystems where these elements are combined, namely production of data, information, technology and knowledge, innovations generally arise. These innovations are not limited only to the production sector, but rather must be understood as social processes developed in collaboration with different actors, including the government, academy, corporations and citizens. Both knowledge and innovation are requirements necessary and indispensable for promoting growth and driving the economies of countries around the world. Economies. As stated by UNESCO, no single model exists for knowledge societies, as each has its own unique advantages, strengths, and culture. Therefore, Costa Ricans ought to find ways to connect and strengthen the communities’ different kinds of knowledge, including traditional knowledge, and the new ways to develop, acquire and disseminate knowledge, evaluated by the knowledge society and economy models and supported by the use and appropriation of ICTs. tion rma Info Innov atio n Data ed ge hn T ec olo gy o Kn wl 09