(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009-10-08)
Szogs, Astrid; Cummings, Andrew; Chaminade, Cristina
The aim of this paper is to discuss the role of intermediate organizations in supporting different forms of interactive learning and capability building in small scale business initiatives in emerging innovation systems in developing countries, using data from Tanzania and El Salvador. It is argued that different types of intermediate organizations have played key roles in linking marginalized economic actors, to sources of knowledge and other resources that are essential for capability upgrading and innovation in both traditional and more differentiated economic activities. They thus play an important role in linking innovative activity, to maintaining and upgrading the quality of existing jobs in crisis, generating new ones where opportunities arise, providing income crucial for family wellbeing in countries characterized by low levels of human development and high levels of inequality.The paper is structured as follows. After the introduction the concepts of systems of innovation, interactive learning and intermediaries in less developed countries are reviewed. This is followed by a presentation of the data and methodology, which is then analyzed in the following section. The paper ends with some conclusions on the role of intermediate organisations in linking actors, enabling technology and knowledge diffusion and building innovation systems in less developed countries.
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008-09)
Szogs, Astrid; Chaminade, Cristina; Azatyan, Ruzanna
African countries lag clearly behind developed countries when it comes to accumulating technological capabilities, upgrading and catching up. Also, firms in least developed countries are characterised by very low levels of absorptive capacity. It, therefore, becomes crucial to understand how this capacity can be build so that the indigenous firms can benefit from external knowledge sources. Drawing on case study material, this paper investigates the role of intermediate organizations in facilitating technological knowledge transfer between the university and the indigenous SMEs, discussing how capabilities are built during such intermediation. Particularly, we discuss the role of NGOs facilitating the transfer of knowledge between universities and SMEs in Tanzania and the accumulation of new technological capabilities (absorptive capacity) in the latter.