The latest issue of Edge features a thoughtful essay by Charles Leadbeater that is based on the position paper the author is publishing next week for the British Council.

Leadbeater’s position is balanced, mixing optimism with warnings about the threats posed by (and to) the cloud, and suggestions on the moves to take.

The essay is worth a thorough read, and among the various points Leadbeater makes the following will be one of the keys in the next few years:

Most media industries will need new business models, which are tailored to allow more interaction with content and more peer-to-peer distribution. Countries that experiment successfully with these models will lead the next wave of cultural and creative industries.