Knowledge can not be separated from information which represents tangible reality and from tangible reality itself. It is not only a result of information processing, it covers two connected parts – tangible and intangible.
The reason to think so is that knowledge or understanding of actions makes the representations of the tangible reality visible, verifyed (sometimes) in order to make the correct decision.
If we contact knowledge in this way:
knowledge – information – tangible reality*
* (-) means connection
or in this:
information – knowledge - tangible reality
we can choose an illusive way where intangibles have their own value like credit money has or that knowledge society can be separated from production society.
A formula
knowledge (information - tangible reality)
could recover and multiply the value of one stream which is artificially separated in tangible and intangible, developing and developed, production and consumption ...
The global competition is not only about who will manage such the separation and the relevant resistance better. It is also about who can use a support of nature which may look like separated parts, but always has supreme power to keep wholeness.