There is only little room in world economy for considering the development of trading capacities. Accelerated economic development has triggered new challenges. Economic development implies intensive and extensive growth. Developing emerging countries, the “Asian tigers” belong to an economic miracle. The extensive method calls for the increase of the quantitative factors: raw materials, labor force. Financial capital, FDI, energy can only be catalysts of economic growth. This method does not imply an increase in the human resources qualification, which degrades with the technique, with the economic crisis. The intensive method involves a new perception of things, improvement and rationalization of applied technologies. Using mixed methods brings synergy. Growth is measured by GDP growth. In a very poor country, it is impossible to diminish poverty without boosting economic growth. In such a society people are missing, whose revenues can be redistributed. Economic development, even in a poor country, will ensure economic growth, reducing poverty. Economic renaissance triggered economic growth at the turn of the XX century. Openness and economic integration, technology transfer and know-how leger penetrate into poor and developing countries. Going on the already beaten path, the poor countries assimilate technological novelties by applying them in practice. The authors set out to investigate the character of the world economy at the beginning of the 21st century, in the postcrisis period, to identify the directions of development and adaptation to the new economic realities. Obviously, economic growth is ensured primarily by energy resources. Some energies are often exhausting, polluting or expensive. Mankind has become aware of the need to look for alternative sources of efficient energy. Prospects are promising enough.