Business associations and their contribution to knowledge networks in Mexico

Mexican businesses are organized in a highly complex system, comprising an enormous variety of associations that group individual firms according to sectors and geographical lines of division. These associations may constitute an efficient means of support for the construction of knowledge networks benefiting their members. We analyze academicindustry relationship in which business associations (BAs) of different types participate in order to explore the connection between different institutional settings and knowledge network development. We argue that the structure of BAs is a key factor in their ability to sustain networking. It is, therefore, possible to speak of structural advantages or disadvantages as regards the building of triple helix relations.