From the cognitive perspective and focusing on external collaboration, this study aims to show their contribution to innovative performance, which usually differs between emerging and advanced economies. Databases on Science, Technology and Innovation activities of the countries studied are used, together with CFA and SEM, to validate the hypotheses. It is found that dominant logic and external collaboration enjoy a positive relationship with innovative performance. In Spain, the returns of research and development are greater. This may be due to the fact that cognitive aspects are determinant of leveraging collaborative networks, while in Colombia this needs to be strengthened. In addition to contributing theoretically to the operationalisation of dominant logic and external collaboration in innovative performance, this research contributes to the literature by proposing relationships among the factors studied, providing insights into their influence in the innovation process in a developed and an emerging country, which has not been addressed before.