Partnerships are critical to the creation and spread of knowledge and the creation
and diffusion of innovations because efforts of one party alone cannot ensure
a healthy digital economic environment. Partnerships ensure that competitors do
not replicate their innovations. Such partnerships are also important to SMEs in
the digital economy because they bring together government departments, business
organizations from the private sector, associations, and educational institutions.
The importance of partnerships in business led OECD to suggest that governments
should enhance the ability of national firms, especially SMEs, to partner with public
research institutions and gain access to global research networks and markets
(Germany, 2000).