The development of a strong economic base in resource-based countries is not trivial. Relatively few such nations have succeeded in the transition to a “resource-based knowledge economy”. The national knowledge base should be exploited to improve productivity in old resource-based industries and to develop new industries. These knowledge-based (or so called enabling) sectors themselves developed in interaction with resource-based industries and were often driven by the demand from these industries. This dynamic interaction between natural resource industries and enabling sectors should be regarded as the core aspect of the successful economic development of resource-rich countries. Today, such a historical framework provides a reason to regard these countries as “resource based knowledge economies” that succeeded in establishing the institutional support for social interaction between resource-based firms and actors with “useful knowledge”. It is important that this type of linkages is created within a local or national economy. There are specific historical processes underlying the establishment of the “social technologies” of close interaction between resource-based industries and enabling sectors. The case studies indicate there are many forms of institutions that can foster collaboration between resource-based industries and knowledge organizations or enabling sectors. The article especially considers the role of social relations between actors in small local communities and national elites with a shared vision. The sustainable development was also defined by relationships in business chains and by larger companies’ ability to incorporate the enabling sectors. The role of knowledge generating and disseminating institutional structure was extremely important. The author addresses to knowledge generating “enabling sectors” and the ability of these sectors to link with resource industries to achieve innovation into new products and industries. The question is why it became possible to establish this type of interaction in some sectors and countries, but proved to be more difficult to achieve in others. This calls for a deeper analysis of the social, political and cultural basis for economic behavior.