This book examines the institutional roots of the persistent differences in economic performance of firms, industries and countries in Africa. It draws attention to the role of institutions in supporting technical change and shows how technological progress is central to competitiveness in a global context. The role of initial conditions such as levels of literacy and natural endowment, the structure of industry and resource endowment are also emphasized. With its focus on how institutions shape systems of innovation this book makes a unique contribution to the debate about African development.

Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka is a Senior Researcher and professor of Technology management and Industrialization at UNU-INTECH (United Nations University-Institute for New Technologies) in The Netherlands.

Contents: Foreword by Ha-Joon Chang; Introduction; Institutions and technology in African development; Learning knowledge and skills in small and medium enterprises: a theoretical review; Learning knowledge and skills in industry: empirical exploration; Inter-organizational collaboration in systems of innovation; Infrastructure and industry; Institutions supporting SMEs in industry; Clusters and institutions supporting clustering; Conclusions and policy suggestions; References; Index.