Please paraphrase/summarize this passage below. What is the central point of the passage? (what is it trying to say?)
"The United States, Germany and Japan and other industrial nations are being transformed from industrial economies to knowledge and information based service economies, whilst manufacturing has been moving to low wage countries. In a knowledge and information based economy, knowledge and information are the key ingredients in creating wealth." - From Laudon and Laudon (2000), Management information systems: managing the digital firm, p. 31.