Description: Knowledge, Technology, and Cluster-Based Growth in Africa

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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, enterprise...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	Zeng, Douglas Zhihua
Language:	English en_US
Published:	Washington, DC: World Bank 2012
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 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6918

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Summary:	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.