Mapping Key Competencies for the Knowledge Society Era

Abstract

The growing conceptual complexity and persistent ambiguity surrounding the definition and measurement of the Knowledge Society/Knowledge Economy (KS/KE) and its associated competencies point to an unresolved research gap, which may contribute to fragmented and insufficiently coordinated policy responses. While numerous frameworks describing 21st-century skills and competencies exist, their linkage to macro-level indicators capturing the performance of knowledge-based economies remains limited and methodologically underexplored. This paper addresses this gap by examining the methodological viability of systematically deriving key competencies for the KS/KE from Knowledge Economy Index (KEI) indicators and by assessing whether the resulting competency model demonstrates conceptual congruence with established 21st-century competency frameworks. The primary objective of the study is to develop and apply a novel and robust methodological framework for constructing a key competency model tailored to the contemporary socio-economic context of the KS/KE. The proposed approach is grounded in a systematic content analysis of existing KEIs and their constituent indicators. Specifically, the methodology is applied to a dataset comprising 301 indicators derived from four internationally recognised KEIs: the Global Knowledge Index (GKI), the Global Innovation Index (GII), the European Innovation Scoreboard – Summary Innovation Index (EIS- SII), and the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI). A central methodological contribution of the study lies in the uniform semantic categorisation of all indicators and their systematic division into input indicators, capturing structural prerequisites and investments, and output indicators, reflecting achieved results and performance. This analytical structure enables the identification of key competencies that mediate the transformation of invested resources into measurable and socially desirable outcomes within KE. To assess the conceptual robustness of the proposed model, the resulting key competency model for KS/KE is validated against a reference database of competencies synthesised from authoritative policy and strategic documents issued by organisations such as the OECD, UNESCO, the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the World Economic Forum, and the Partnership for 21st Century Learning. The validation confirms a high degree of conceptual alignment between the empirically derived competencies and established 21st-century competency frameworks. In addition, the study exploits an extensive longitudinal dataset of KEI indicators available since 2017 as the empirical basis for a model-based analysis of anticipated trends in key competency development over a forthcoming three-year horizon. Compared to traditional competency modelling approaches based on expert studies, job analyses, behavioural observations, Delphi methods, or surveys, the proposed model leverages dynamically updated KEI indicators, offering greater flexibility and responsiveness to rapid socio-economic change. At the societal level, the resulting KS/KE key competency model provides a foundation for preparing future knowledge workers, while at the organisational level it supports talent management practices and the development of organisation-specific competency models aimed at sustaining competitive advantage.