Knowledge, Technology, and Cluster-Based Growth in Africa

Although Africa is falling behind in today's global economic race, it holds pockets of vital economic activity -- many in the form of enterprise clusters scattered across the continent's countries and industries. By clustering, enterprises are able to overcome constraints in capital, skills, technology, and markets. Enterprise clusters help their constituents grow and compete by encouraging more effective knowledge and technology diffusion and product specialization, leveraging local comparative advantage, fostering production value chains, and achieving collective efficiency. In so doing, they contribute significantly to Africa's economic growth. They provide jobs for the continent's growing population, thus enabling families not only to survive, but also to educate their children and perhaps move out of poverty. But in today's increasingly knowledge-intensive and globalized economy, these clusters also face serious challenges in the areas of technology, natural resources, infrastructure, skill acquisition, and quality control. This book aims to provide an understanding of how these dynamic enterprise clusters in Africa were formed and have evolved, and how knowledge, human capital, and technology have contributed to their success.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	Zeng, Douglas Zhihua
Language:	English en_US
Published:	Washington, DC: World Bank 2008
Subjects:	ACCESS TO CAPITAL, ACCESSORIES, AGENTS, APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY, ARTISAN, ARTISANS, ATTRIBUTES, AUTOMOBILE, AUTOMOTIVE, BARRIERS TO ENTRY, BASIC, BASIC SKILLS, BUSINESS ACTIVITIES, BUSINESS CENTER, BUSINESS CENTERS, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT, BUSINESS SECTOR, BUSINESS SERVICES, BUSINESS VALUE, BUSINESSES, CAPABILITIES, CAPABILITY, CAPITAL CITIES, CERTIFICATES, CITIES, COLLABORATION, COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES, COMMODITIES, COMMODITY, COMMUNICATION FACILITIES, COMMUNICATION SERVICES, COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT, COMPETITIVENESS, COMPONENTS, COMPUTER HARDWARE, COMPUTER SCIENCES, COMPUTERS, CONSUMER GOODS, COPYING, COPYRIGHT, CURRICULA, CUSTOM, CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS, DECISION-MAKING, DEVICES, DOI, DYNAMIC ENTERPRISE, E-MAIL, ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES, ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, ECONOMIES OF SCALE, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, EDUCATIONAL REFORMS, ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRICITY, ELECTRONICS, ENABLING ENVIRONMENT, ENGINEERING, ENGINEERS, ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT, EQUIPMENT, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING, EXPORT MARKETS, EXPORT PROMOTION, FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS, FLOW OF INFORMATION, FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT, FOREIGN EXCHANGE, FOREIGN INVESTMENTS, FORMAL EDUCATION, GLOBAL ECONOMY, GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE, GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY, GLOBAL MARKET, GLOBAL MARKETS, GLOBALIZATION, GROWTH STRATEGIES, GROWTH STRATEGY, HANDICRAFT, HANDICRAFTS, HUMAN CAPITAL, ICT, IDS, INDUSTRIAL BASE, INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, INDUSTRIAL TRAINING, INFORMATION EXCHANGE, INFORMATION SERVICE, INFORMATION SERVICE CENTERS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION, INNOVATION SYSTEMS, INNOVATIONS, INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS, INTERFACE, INTERMEDIATE TECHNOLOGY, INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION, INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS, INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS, INTERNET ACCESS, INVENTIONS, JOINT VENTURES, KNOW-HOW, KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION, KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT, KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY, KNOWLEDGE FOR DEVELOPMENT, KNOWLEDGE NETWORKS, KNOWLEDGE REVOLUTION, LEARNING, LEARNING PROCESSES, LICENSES, LICENSING, MANUFACTURING, MARKET ACCESS, MARKET DEMAND, MARKET DEMANDS, MARKETING, MARKETING STRATEGY, MATERIAL, MOBILE PHONE, MOVEMENT OF GOODS, NATURAL RESOURCES, NETWORKING, NEW TECHNOLOGIES, NEW TECHNOLOGY, OPEN UNIVERSITY, PHONE CARDS, PHONE LINES, PHOTO, PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, POLICY SUPPORT, PRIMARY EDUCATION, PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, PRIVATE SECTOR, PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION, PRIVATE SECTORS, PRODUCT DESIGNS, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS, PRODUCTION PROCESSES, PRODUCTIVITY, PROTOTYPES, PUBLIC GOODS, PUBLISHING, PURCHASING POWER, QUERIES, R&D, RESULT, RESULTS, SEARCH, SECONDARY EDUCATION, SERVICE PROVIDERS, TACIT KNOWLEDGE, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE, TECHNICAL SKILLS, TECHNICAL SUPPORT, TECHNICAL TRAINING, TECHNICIANS, TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT, TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITY, TECHNOLOGICAL SUPPORT, TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT, TECHNOLOGY POLICY, TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT, TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER, TELECOM, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, TELEPHONE, TERTIARY EDUCATION, TRAINING ACTIVITIES, TRAINING INSTITUTES, TRAINING PROGRAMS, TRANSACTION, TRANSMISSION, TRANSMISSIONS, UNIVERSITIES, USERS, VALUE CHAIN, VALUE CHAINS, WEALTH CREATION,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2007/01/9051196/knowledge-technology-cluster-based-growth-africa https://hdl.handle.net/10986/6918
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