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There is a wide gap between those who have access to technology and use it effectively and those who do not. The technology gap exists between those who can create and innovate to produce new technologies and those who cannot. It also exists between those who can access, adapt, master and use existing technologies and those who cannot. So harnessing the potential of technology for development goes beyond creating new technologies but also finding ways to access, adapt and use technology that already exists for the benefit of all the population.

The technology gap is evident in many areas:

• In Japan there are 861 patents granted per million people. In many developing countries the number is 0.
• 84% of articles published in scientific journals are from developed countries.
• In 2002, only 10 countries accounted for 86% of world total investment in Research and Development (R&D)
• The mean years of schooling in the United States is 12.1 years. In Guinea Bissau, it is less than one year.
• In Finland, 27.3% of university enrollments are in science subjects. In Chad, this figure is 0.1%.

A study of the information and communication technologies (ICTs) reveals that Africa’s Internet usage has increased dramatically since 2000, leaving Oceania/Australia to be the region with the lowest Internet usage as of March 2009.

See all statistics and graphs.

Check out this video on the effects technology has on the world, the evolving learner, and future of education.