Knowledge Development and Exchange Within the Lagos Innovation Ecosystem: Imperatives of Cluster Structure

Knowledge development is not automatic but incremental, building on previously absorbed capacities in adapting new information. This condition makes transferring knowledge from external ecosystems to local ones within these contexts more challenging. Over the past few years, Africa has witnessed a proliferation of technology hubs. Nonetheless, while these fledgling technology ecosystems are potent for fostering the continent’s socioeconomic development, only a few of the technology startups emerging from within these have had the digital entrepreneurial capacity to scale into global enterprises. A critical gap is that the process of knowledge generation, adoption, and transmission within the digital entrepreneurial ecosystem remains unclear, with the need for more empirical studies in this context. This chapter develops a conceptual framework to examine the incremental knowledge development process concerning the African digital entrepreneurial ecosystem. It explores, within this context how indigenous and local knowledge can more effectively be integrated with foreign capabilities in the evolution of the digital innovation ecosystem. I leverage Ecosystems Theory to interrogate the conceptualization the African digital entrepreneurial ecosystem as an agglomeration of local and foreign knowledge systems. The empirical research is designed around an exploratory case study of the Lagos innovation ecosystem, which is a leading digital entrepreneurial hub in Africa. I propose a qualitative interpretive approach to data collection by exploring, via semi-structured interviews, the perceptions, opinions, and views of critical stakeholders within these innovation ecosystems. While the fledgling ecosystems across Africa have significantly relied on indigenous technology knowledge for their emergence in service to local markets, to scale globally, they will need effective knowledge adaptation and integration with foreign ecosystems in developing their entrepreneurial capacities. This chapter will significantly contribute to knowledge within the knowledge innovation domain by assessing the several possible routes to effectively realize this integration within the African innovation ecosystem.