Abstract
The objective of this research is to define educational policies to promote the knowledge economy and technological development. For this, the objective is to determine the existing conditions for the development of the knowledge economy in Ecuador, and the connection with the business structure (public and private) to promote the country in technological development, so that higher education comply with the principle of relevance. To analyze the theoretical perspectives with the empirical results, two models were made that cover the evolution of the knowledge economy. The main results show that when investment in education is greater, the knowledge economy grows and is reflected in exports with a higher technological level. For the Ecuadorian case, it is recommended to carry out an educational reform and increase investment in education, and in science and technology, that promotes technological development.