Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist

by Kate Raworth

Just as corporate capitalism has long depended on the backing of government policies, public funding and pro-business legislation, so now the commons need the backing of a Partner State whose aim is to enable the creation of common value.84 How can the state start helping the knowledge commons to realise its potential? In five key ways. First, invest in human ingenuity by teaching social entrepreneurship, problem-solving and collaboration in schools and universities worldwide: such skills will equip the next generation to innovate in open-source networks like no generation before them. Second, ensure that all publicly funded research becomes public knowledge by contractually requiring it to be licensed in the knowledge commons, rather than permitting it to be locked away under patents and copyright for private commercial gain. Third, roll back the excessive reach of corporate intellectual property claims in order to prevent spurious patent and copyright applications from encroaching on the knowledge commons. Fourth, publicly fund the set-up of community makerspaces—places where innovators can meet and experiment with shared use of 3D printers and essential tools for hardware construction. And lastly, encourage the spread of civic organisations—from cooperative societies and student groups to innovation clubs and neighbourhood associations—because their interconnections turn into the very nodes that bring such peer-to-peer networks alive.