Template-type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Goedhuys, Micheline
Author-Email: goedhuys@intech.unu.edu
Author-Workplace-Name: United Nations University, Institute for New Technologies
Title: Learning, Product Innovation and Firm Heterogeneity in Tanzania
Abstract: Using a unique firm level data set on learning and product innovation
	 in Tanzanian manufacturing and commercial farming, this paper sheds light
	 on the various sources of firm learning, investment and collaboration
	 and their relative importance for product innovation.  The results
	 indicate that larger and foreign owned firms invest significantly more
	 in human and physical capital than do local micro, small and medium sized
	 firms, and they are better connected to the internet. Their ways of
	 upgrading technology also reveals a better financial endowment.  Small
	 and medium sized firms on the other hand report to collaborate more
	 intensively with other local firms on product development, marketing and
	 on the input market and upgrade technology through in-house activities,
	 imitation and cooperation with suppliers and universities.  By doing so,
	 they are able to offset the scale disadvantages they face in competing for
	 the market information and inputs – new machinery and specialised labour -
	 necessary for product innovation in imperfect markets. 
Keywords: learning, innovation, technological change, competitiveness, multinational
	 corporations, MNEs, small and medium enterprises, SMEs, investment, Tanzania
Series: Discussion Paper
Creation-Date: 2005
Number: 2005-07
File-URL: https://www.merit.unu.edu/publications/discussion-papers/2005-7.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf
File-Size: 262 Kb
Handle: RePEc:unm:unuint:200507