Knowledge sharing enhances the capability of rural micro-firms to facilitate economic growth, competitiveness and employment. Knowledge exchange research predominantly focuses on larger firms in the same or related industries, and is of limited relevance in a rural micro-firm context, owing to significant differences in resource availability which can result in strategic knowledge constraints and the meagre development of micro-firms and the regions in which they reside/operate. The aim of this research is to explore the knowledge exchange criteria of rural micro-firms in a cross-border facilitated learning network (FLN). Drawing on the ‘community of practice’ perspective and the closely connected learning network literature, the authors observe and map FLN knowledge exchange activities over a three-year period. The resultant rural FLN knowledge exchange framework demonstrates that discipline and sector-specific barriers can be overcome through cyclical FLN interventions sensitive to the social proximity requirements necessary for effective cross-border knowledge exchange.
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