3. Start Date and Expected Duration

The role of intangible assets in the economy has been investigated under various lights. The most general observation is that the importance of intangible materials, assets, and consumption—as opposed to physical materials, assets and consumption—has continuously been rising in the current economy. More precisely, it is noted that the core characteristic of intangibles in the economy has to do with knowledge: its creation, storage, exchange and use. Knowledge as intangible asset—as output or even consumption factor, lies at the heart of much theorising on economic growth and development. Two major lines of economic theorising are of particular relevance, both of which examine the role of knowledge and knowledge accumulation—in various forms, as the engine of economic performance and growth.