Providing a global survey of public policies and programs for building national and regional ecosystems of science and technology based entrepreneurial development, this book provides a unique analysis of the advances, over the last several decades and in light of the experiential knowledge gained in various parts of the world, in the understanding of innovation systems in the pursuit of developing these economies. Presenting nineteen case studies of diverse developed and emerging economy nations and their regions, more than thirty expert authors describe an array of policy and program mechanisms that have been implemented over the years. The in-depth analyses of the worldwide efforts featured in this volume provide the reader with several valuable lessons. There are clear indications of a trend toward better cohesion and coordination of national efforts to improve innovation but also a trend toward the broadening of regional agendas to address technology, talent, capital, innovation infrastructure and entrepreneurship culture issues - considered essential for knowledge based entrepreneurial growth. The book also offers a unique treatment of grassroots level programmatic aspects of these efforts, including some novel entrepreneurial mechanisms employed for policy implementation. The book's blend of theory and practice provides valuable insights to the reader, particularly government, academic and private sector policymakers and scholars researching or involved directly with efforts to build and support the development of science and technology based entrepreneurial regions.

In this contribution we develop a theoretical framework derived from the national system of innovation literature and the subsequent criticisms voiced by regional scientists and industry/technology experts who emphasize the importance of the intermediate subnational and sectoral levels to analysing science- and technology-based regional entrepreneurship in the Netherlands. The national system of innovation of the Netherlands, and its specifics and peculiarities, and the country's general entrepreneurship policy, and the most important policy and support initiatives are subsequently discussed. Based on a desire to overcome the knowledge paradox between fundamental research and market needs and on the recognition that the Netherlands lags behind other countries when it comes to innovative entrepreneurship, various changes and initiatives were recently introduced in the Netherlands. The impression is of an overambitious national government with numerous programmes, schemes and agencies involved, sometimes working with each other but at other times separately as well, and its effectiveness can be questioned. Serious paperwork and preparation is involved in the participation in most programes and, together with the complexity of these programmes and policies, small and young entrepreneurs are neither informed, ready or well-equipped; some of them are not even interested in participating in those schemes.

This book is the first collection of scholarly writings on science and technology parks (STPs) that has an international perspective. It explores concrete ways to systematically collect information on public and private organizations related to their support of and activities in STPs, including incubation to start-up and scale-up, and collaborations with centers of knowledge creation. Rather than perpetuate the qualitative assessment of successful practices, the focus of this book is to present quantitative and qualitative evidence of the impact of STPs on regional development and to raise awareness on the importance of systematic data collection and analysis. Only through a systematic collection of data on fiscal identification numbers of companies, universities, and university spin-offs will it be possible to conduct current and especially future analyses on the impact of STPs on entrepreneurship, effectiveness of technology transfer, and regional economic development. To this extent, the synergistic views of academics, representatives from STPs, and policy experts are crucial.

In recent years state and local governments, universities, and private sector groups have become increasingly active in promoting technological innovation and technology-based business development in their local economies. These efforts have resulted in productive new forms of partnership and cooperation at all levels. While federal programs have sometimes supported these efforts, and while recent changes in federal policy have improved the climate for high technology development initiatives, in most cases both the initiative and the ongoing leadership have come from imaginative state and local leaders. This five-chapter report provides: (1) an overview of high-technology development (HTD); (2) a definition and analysis of high-technology industries; (3) a discussion of entrepreneurship and venture capital in HTD; (4) a discussion of state and local government, university, and private sector initiatives for HTD; and (5) an examination of the federal role in regional HTD. Three reports are appended: they concern (1) the theoretical base for high-technology location and regional development, (2) a regional assessment of the formation and growth in high-technology firms, and (3) a preliminary investigation of recent evidence on high-technology industries' spatial tendencies. One factor examined in the latter report is the nature and diversity among high-technology industries in both growth performance and locational tendencies. (JN).

Ô. . . the book is an important reading in the field of entrepreneurship. One of its main contributions is that it clearly shows that the process of new firm formation is a regional event. The chapters are rich in theoretical insights and data, and are valuable readings for students, academics, and policy-makers interested in entrepreneurship and regional growth.Õ Ð Christine Tam‡sy, Regional Studies ÔEntrepreneurship can have powerful effects on local as well as national economies. The chapters in this edited volume, authored by well-known experts in their fields, explore various aspects of entrepreneurship and regional development. The book provides an illuminating overview of the current state of knowledge while also sharing with the reader several new findings and insights on issues as diverse as globalization, regional employment growth, nascent entrepreneurs, gazelles, labor productivity, government regulations, and university entrepreneurship. It is recommended reading for anyone interested in these topics.Õ Ð Simon C. Parker, The University of Western Ontario, Canada ÔThere is substantial evidence regarding the considerable regional variation in business creation. Michael Fritsch has done a fine job of assembling the most recent analyses of the best scholars on the regional factors affecting firm creation and the consequences. It is essential reading for any scholar or policy analyst seeking a state-of-the-art overview of the current empirical status of research on this important topic.Õ Ð Paul D. Reynolds, George Washington University, US ÔThis Handbook examines the contribution of the entrepreneur and related processes to regional economic development. The recognition that the indirect entrepreneurial effects on development are more significant than the direct is an important and under-girding conclusion. And further, that entrepreneurial driven effects are often not felt immediately but in some cases only across decades, as illustrated by the over-two-decade incubation of the entrepreneurial culture in Silicon Valley which only later resulted in it becoming the dominant icon of scientific and technology regional development that it is today.Õ Ð Roger Stough, George Mason University, US ÔThis volume fills an important gap in the research literature on entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is a localized phenomenon and all too many studies disregard this fact. Thus, the regional economic milieu is a critical factor determining not only the volume and type of entrepreneurship but also the effects of entrepreneurship in terms of value-added growth, employment growth, etc. The contributions in this book by a number of leading scientists in the field provide an excellent overview and understanding of the prerequisites for and the role of entrepreneurship in regional growth and development.Õ Ð Charlie Karlsson, Jšnkšping University, Sweden Recent research has found pronounced differences in the level of entrepreneurship and new business formation across various regions and nations. This timely Handbook reveals that the development of new ventures as well as their effects on overall economic growth are strongly shaped by their regional and national environment. The expert group of contributors gives an overview on the current state of the art in this field, and proposes avenues for further investigation. Topics include the regional determinants of new business formation, the effects of start-ups on growth, the role of globalization for regional entrepreneurship, the effect of national and regional framework conditions, as well as the role of universities as incubators of innovative new firms.

Second tier high-tech regions are taking a different path than their well-known counterparts such as Silicon Valley or Route 128 around Boston. They may lack many prerequisites of growth such as a world-class research university or high levels of venture capital funding. Often, however, they can successfully leverage anchor firms and entrepreneurial spinoffs. This book explores the evolution of these regions in the United States. The author critically examines how they evolved as knowledge-based economies, how they leveraged entrepreneurship and innovation, and ultimately how they employed public policy to support economic growth. Filling a gap in the literature, the book speaks to researchers and policymakers across the fields of entrepreneurship, economic geography and economic development planning.

This publication highlights the impact of culture on local economies and the methodological issues related to its identification.