Cross- border interfirm knowledge generation and enterprise development in Africa

This chapter is grounded in the theoretical understanding that knowledge provides the foundation for innovation within fi rms and industries and propels economic growth. Furthermore, the amount and value of the learning that takes place within and between fi rms locally and in cross- border collaborative
engagements depends on the dominant characteristics of the national and regional systems of knowledge management and innovation. The chapter therefore seeks to shed light on how individual and fi rm- level characteristics, as well as the institutional and cultural contexts of collaboration, infl uence the learning and absorptive capacities of the fi rms engaged in the collaborative processes in African economies. These considerations are illustrated with some evidence from collaborations between Ghanaian and Danish fi rms. The
discussions provide basis for additional research into interfi rm relations within the African context.