Statement of Purpose

Exploring the New Economics of the Information Age

A quarter-century after the microprocessor's invention, the world economy is in the throes of an epochal transformation from the Machine Age to the Information Age. Unfortunately, traditional schools of economic thought offer insufficient insight into the fundamental nature of the emerging Information Age economy. We are entering uncharted territory.

To meet this challenge, bionomics suggests a new economic paradigm. Where mainstream economics is based on concepts borrowed from classical Newtonian physics, bionomics is derived from the teachings of modern evolutionary biology. Where orthodox thinking describes the economy as a static, predictable engine, bionomics sees the economy as a self-organizing, "chaotic" information ecosystem. Where the traditional view sees organizations as production machines, bionomics sees organizations as intelligent social organisms. Where conventional business strategy focuses on physical capital, bionomics holds that organizational learning is the ultimate source of all profit and growth.

If the radical restructuring of business and governmental institutions now underway were informed about bionomics, the transformation would be far more effective and far less costly. Consequently, The Bionomics Institute seeks to educate corporate leaders, policy makers, and the general public about bionomics. The Bionomics Institute pursues these objectives through public conferences, executive seminars, and publications.