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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.
The most important issue for development centres on the debate
about the centrality of knowledge, technology and innovation to the
process of economic development. While this much is broadly agreed,
what is at issue is the precise mechanics of overcoming economic
development challenges in different contexts. At the heart of it
all is about how economies at different levels deploy the unending
streams of information and knowledge to developmental ends. In
time, the notion of income convergence between the poorer South and
the wealthy North has proved a mirage, while a new economic divide
has in fact occurred within the South itself, and as well, between
regions and within regions. The debate relating to latecomers is
thus framed in discussions about regions and countries that arrive
late to mastering industrialization in achieving economic
prosperity through the use of knowledge. In other words, a new
divide has emerged among the latecomers themselves, and with it,
greater conceptual complexity in the ways of our understanding of
the divergent ways of economic development. We have thus separated
"fast followers" and new "late comers". This book enters this
debate acutely aware of the complexity of this process. The authors
argue that economic development is largely driven by innovation,
concentrating on the dynamics of process, product and
organizational changes and how they are embedded within specific
and varied contextual institutions.
The most important issue for development centres on the debate
about the centrality of knowledge, technology and innovation to the
process of economic development. While this much is broadly agreed,
what is at issue is the precise mechanics of overcoming economic
development challenges in different contexts. At the heart of it
all is about how economies at different levels deploy the unending
streams of information and knowledge to developmental ends. In
time, the notion of income convergence between the poorer South and
the wealthy North has proved a mirage, while a new economic divide
has in fact occurred within the South itself, and as well, between
regions and within regions. The debate relating to latecomers is
thus framed in discussions about regions and countries that arrive
late to mastering industrialization in achieving economic
prosperity through the use of knowledge. In other words, a new
divide has emerged among the latecomers themselves, and with it,
greater conceptual complexity in the ways of our understanding of
the divergent ways of economic development. We have thus separated
"fast followers" and new "late comers."
This book enters this debate acutely aware of the complexity of
this process. The authors argue that economic development is
largely driven by innovation, concentrating on the dynamics of
process, product and organizational changes and how they are
embedded within specific and varied contextual institutions.
This book examines long-term structural changes and the broad
impact on economic development in regional comparative
perspectives. The book analyzes data across Africa, Asia and Latin
America. It looks at key variables of productivity growth,
industrialization, poverty, urbanization, and employment. This book
is concerned with understanding structural change dynamics and how
it affects job creation, living standards, and the efficiency of
productive cities through manufacturing productivity growth that
benefits majority of citizens. With empirical evidence from a
selected number of developing countries including China, India,
Brazil, Nigeria and South Africa, the book attempts to present the
considerable structural changes of these countries over the last
few decades. It highlights that growth without the expected job
creation is one of the distinct features of growth in emerging and
developing countries. It suggests that countries may well record
economic growth, whether through within sector productivity
increase or through structural change, but this may not necessarily
lead to employment, an important concern for long-term development.
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.
Economic diversification entails a shift away from a single income
source toward multiple income sources from an increasing spectrum
of sectors and markets. A persistent concern for some Asian and
African economies is their reliance on commodity exports and how
they are exposed to the risk of export volatility and income
instability. The Covid-19 pandemic and previous oil crashes have
demonstrated the adverse impact on such economies. This book
provides a systemic analysis of sustainable economic development
through economic diversification. The book analyzes diversification
and development experiences from comparative perspectives of Asia
and Africa. It also investigates determinants of export
diversification differentiated by commodities-dependence versus
manufactured products and looks at the roles of various
institutions and governance of institutions in export
diversification. This book will provide policy insights into how
different degrees of specialisation in exports across countries
have affected outcomes in terms of living standards, economic
growth and employment.
This book examines long-term structural changes and the broad
impact on economic development in regional comparative
perspectives. The book analyzes data across Africa, Asia and Latin
America. It looks at key variables of productivity growth,
industrialization, poverty, urbanization, and employment. This book
is concerned with understanding structural change dynamics and how
it affects job creation, living standards, and the efficiency of
productive cities through manufacturing productivity growth that
benefits majority of citizens. With empirical evidence from a
selected number of developing countries including China, India,
Brazil, Nigeria and South Africa, the book attempts to present the
considerable structural changes of these countries over the last
few decades. It highlights that growth without the expected job
creation is one of the distinct features of growth in emerging and
developing countries. It suggests that countries may well record
economic growth, whether through within sector productivity
increase or through structural change, but this may not necessarily
lead to employment, an important concern for long-term development.
Sustainable Industrialization in Africa explores the issues that
confront development policy in the context of the MDGs and the
post-2015 development agenda from an African perspective. The book
argues that development is an ultimate outcome of sustainable,
equitable industrialization, and that any development agenda for
the future has to ensure that industrialization is fostered in a
way that makes economies independent and responsive to the needs of
all citizens. Future challenges for sustainable industrialization
in Africa, based upon the differences in its current
industrialization trajectories, are discussed to ensure that
industrial growth results in positive economic and social outcomes
in the context of the post-2015 development agenda.
This book highlights the use of information and communication
technology (ICT) infrastructures in order to develop smart cities
and produce smart economies in Africa. It discusses a robust set of
concepts, including smart planning, smart infrastructure
development, smart economic development, smart environmental
sustainability, smart social development, resilience, and smart
peace and security in several African cities. By drawing on the
accumulated knowledge on various conditions that make cities smart,
green, livable and healthy, it helps in the planning, design and
management of African urbanization. In turn, it fosters the
development of e-commerce, e-education, e-governance, etc. The
rapid development of ICT infrastructures facilitates the creation
of smart economies in digitally served cities and towns through
smart urban planning, smart infrastructures, smart land tenure and
smart urban policies. In the long term, this can reduce emissions
of CO2, promote the creation of low carbon cities, reduce land
degradation and promote biodiversity.
Recent scholarship underscores the importance of
industry-universities collaboration as an important organizational
form for knowledge creation within the national system of
innovation (NSI), especially in stimulating new technologies. There
are two broad assumptions underlying the establishment and
management of universities. The first one is that universities are
set up to perform certain well defined functions such as teaching,
research and knowledge production and could remain outside the
broad national, cultural and political influence. Second, and
specific to the research function, the notion of research and
development (R&D) without much attention to downstream
activities that involve commercialization, limits the relevance of
university research. This book based on sound empirical and
theoretical scholarship advances considerably our understanding of
these issues within a development context. We strongly recommend it
to all those interested in the development debate.
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