‘Learning to export’ and ‘learning by exporting’: The relationship between innovation and exports
13 June 2022, 5:00 pm–6:30 pm

Join us to hear Fiona Tregenna and Elvis Avenyo talk about their research on '‘Learning to export’ and ‘learning by exporting’: The relationship between innovation and exports in African firms'. This talk will be chaired by IIPP’s Antonio Andreoni, followed by questions from the audience.
This event is free.
Event Information
Open to
- All
Availability
- Yes
Cost
- Free
Organiser
-
IIPP Comms
Join Fiona Tregenna and Elvis Avenyo to discuss their paper on '‘Learning to export’ and ‘learning by exporting’: The relationship between innovation and exports in African firms'. Using a Tobit simultaneous equation full information maximum likelihood (FIML) model with selection on a cross-sectional dataset from the World Bank’s Enterprise Surveys for 28 African economies, the authors provide new evidence of a two-way positive relationship between innovation and export performance in African firms: innovation is important for both the ability to export (export propensity) and for export intensity, while exporting also increases the likelihood of innovating.
They argue that these effects are driven mainly by direct exports, and apply to both product and process innovation, exploring how these results point to a two-way relationship in which innovation enables firms to ‘learn to export’, while firms also ‘learn by exporting’. A higher share of foreign ownership in firms, as well as firms having an internationally recognised quality certification, strengthen the positive effects in both directions.
This talk will be chaired by IIPP’s Dr Antonio Andreoni and presented by Fiona Tregenna, South African Research Chair in Industrial Development and Professor of Economics, University of Johannesburg and Elvis Avenyo, Senior Researcher, Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development, University of Johannesburg. Followed by questions from the audience.
This seminar examines the relationship between innovation and export performance for African firms:
- Discussants: Danilo Sartorello Spinola
- Presenters: Fiona Tregenna, Elvis Avenyo
- Chair: Antonio Andreoni
Background material linked to this seminar
About the Speakers
Fiona Tregenna
South African Research Chair in Industrial Development and Professor of Economics at University of Johannesburg

Elvis Avenyo
Senior Researcher, Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development at University of Johannesburg
