ABSTRACT
This chapter is grounded in the theoretical understanding that knowledge provides the foundation for innovation within firms and industries and propels economic growth. Furthermore, the amount and value of the learning that takes place within and between firms 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 firm-level characteristics, as well as the institutional and cultural contexts of collaboration, influence the learning and absorptive capacities of the firms engaged in the collaborative processes in African economies. These considerations are illustrated with some evidence from collaborations between Ghanaian and Danish firms. The discussions provide basis for additional research into interfirm relations within the African context.
