Innovation Systems and Knowledge-Intensive Enterpreneurship: a Country Case Study of Poland

This study surveys the current state of affairs in Poland with regard to the development of knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship (KIE), or new firm creation in industries considered to be science-based or to use research and development (R&D) intensively. We place KIE in Poland in the larger institutional context, outlining the key features of the country’s National Innovation System, and then focus on KIE itself. Our findings are perhaps more optimistic than many previous studies of knowledge-based economy development in Poland. We observe significant progress due to Polish access to the European Union. The frequency with which universities are playing a significant role as partners for firms in the innovation process has increased significantly; moreover, we observe a significant degree of internationalization of innovation-related cooperation. Another optimistic development is that the level of activity of venture capitalists seems to be fairly high in Poland considering the relatively low degree of development of capital markets offering VC investors exit opportunities. Moreover, after almost two decades of decline in the share of R&D spending in GDP, there are signs that this is beginning to rise, and that businesses are beginning to spend more on R&D. While demand-side problems continue to be significant barriers for the development of KIE, due to the relatively low level of education and GDP per capita in the country, the trends here are optimistic, with high rates of economic growth and improvements in the level of education of younger generations. Significant improvement is still needed in the area of intellectual property protection

Unleashing the potential of a heterogeneous society Migrant-run companies as drivers of inclusive growth. Bertelsmann Stiftung Growth for Germany 2015/02 Inclusive Growth for Germany 2015/02

As compared with many of its European partners, Germany is currently in a good economic position. But looking solely at economic growth is deceptive. Growth in recent years has not been inclusive, as participation opportunities have become increasingly unequally distributed. This puts social cohesion at risk. But what might policies that achieve both goals —realizing growth potential and expanding participation opportunities—look like? As a part of its “Strategies and Investments for Inclusive Growth” project, the Bertelsmann Stiftung develops and discusses concrete recommendations for an inclusive growth model. Using current research as a basis, this discussion paper discusses the degree to which the entrepreneurial activity of immigrants and people with a migrant background are today already serving to drive inclusive growth in Germany, and how potential of this kind can be identified. The conditions rendering it possible to engage in entrepre neurial activity in a country have a direct effect even beyond that country’s national economic performance. Who founds companies and who does not, and the degree of sustainability displayed by the companies founded, says much about how participation opportunities are distributed within a society. Are conditions such that groups that still lack full equality of opportunity within economic processes, such as women, young people, and people with an experience of immigration or a migrant background, are able as business people to become pace‑setters for a successful economy? Or is their potential overlooked and unused? What specific obstacles are in place

Small and medium-sized businesses in towns of commodity regions as source of diversification and modernization of their economy

The article presents the results of the analysis of economic indicators of economic entities of the regions with raw materials specialization, from the perspective of the goals and capabilities of medium and small-sized businesses. In modern conditions, due to the achievements of scientific and technological progress, the goals of the activity, and the potential of small and medium-sized businesses, the authors identify and analyze possible directions of diversification and modernization of the economy of these regions. The towns of commodity regions are located mainly in areas of adverse environmental conditions away from large industrial and cultural centers and in many cases depend on the performance of one or two large town-forming companies. Thus, the prospects of maintaining the attractiveness of doing business for small and medium enterprises in the towns of these regions as well as the attractiveness of these towns for the population were revealed and analyzed. As measures to maintain this attractiveness, the authors consider the possibility of diversifying and modernizing the economy of such towns by supporting the activities and development of small and medium enterprises, as well as implementing measures aimed at introducing the technologies of the “Smart City” concept.It is assumed that to diversify and modernize the economy of the commodity regions, it is necessary to create conditions for the revitalization of many areas of activity. In particular, it can be achieved through the implementation of “Smart City” projects in these regions. This should stimulate the process of activating the most technologically advanced and innovative areas of activity and have a positive impact on the development of small and medium-sized businesses involved in these areas. In turn, the stable and efficient functioning of such enterprises is one of the most significant tools for such transformations and can speed and intensify the efficiency of the implementation of these processes.At the same time, the use of “smart” technologies for making “smart” decisions, in the process of modernizing the urban economy included, will increase both the efficiency of functioning of small and medium-sized enterprises, and the mechanisms for supporting their activities and development

Organising for Effective Academic Entrepreneurship

The contribution has three parts. In the first part the concept of academic entrepreneurship is explained, defined and put into the context of the entrepreneurial university. In the second part four cases are described: - (1) The Nikos case at the University of Twente: In Nikos teaching, research and spin-off activities are combined into one research institute. - (2) The NICENT case at the University of Ulster: NICENT is set up under the Science and Enterprise Centre activities in the UK. It focuses on education and training of students (undergraduates, graduates and post-graduates) and the stimulation of academic entrepreneurship in the academic constituency. - (3) The S-CIO case at Saxion Universities for Applied Sciences: In 2004 Saxion set up this Centre to have a one-stop shop for all entrepreneurial activities at the University. - (4) The Chair in Technological Entrepreneurship at Tshwane University: The focus of the Chair is on education of (under)graduate students in (technological) entrepreneurship and on the stimulation of entrepreneurship in the wider community. Each case has its own specific angle on academic entrepreneurship and in the thrid part the four cases are compared and analysed according to the model presented in the first part. Finally, some conclusions are formulated regarding the organisation of effective academic entrepreneurship

Creating Firms for a New Century: Determinants of Firm Creation around 1900

A rapidly growing literature in industrial economics and regional economics uses data sets of individual firms or regional firm creation rates to answer the central question: What makes entrepreneurs? Which factors encourage some people to set up their own business and create jobs, and what prevents potential entrepreneurs from doing so? This contribution explores the determinants of regional differences in firm creation rates by using a new data set of 4036 individual firms from Southwest Germany around 1900. Agglomeration effects and earlier firm creations stimulate current firm creation. In addition, a small and medium firm environment allows the formation of specific human capital – another favourable factor for a dynamic firm creation process in some regions.

Business incubators as a part of entrepreneurial ecosystem in emerging economies: case study Russia

The thesis analyses the dynamics of business incubation in Russia, its potential and prospects in the context of developing entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) within the rapidly changing environment. The theoretical background of the term “entrepreneurial ecosystem” is studied, including its framework, players and roles, key performance indicators as well as regulatory tools which can be used to develop such ecosystems with special focus on business incubation. To build a framework, the author has conducted a literature review analyzing both conceptual and case-study papers on entrepreneurial ecosystems and expanded it with additional research on business incubators. Comparative analysis of the American, European, Indian, and Chinese models of business incubators in the context of EEs is conducted to describe the features of country-specific EEs and see how they reflect the local economic and market situation. Different cases of business incubators development in different countries are explored (both developed and developing) as well as the areas to identify similarities and differences in their activities and outputs. The development specifics and trends of business incubation in Russian Federation for about a decade were revealed through the analysis of consecutive surveys conducted from 2012 to 2020. The study shows that during the period in question business incubators in Russia have undergone a few external positive changes, including increased square space, staff quantity, average annual number of residents, annual budget, etc. At the same time, the total number of business incubators also significantly dropped which means that all the above positive changes do not reflect the growth of the business incubation market and the scaling of the most effective structures, but on the contrary, its optimization. The research has several implications. First, it shows the real state and dynamics in business incubation in Russia thanks to the analysis of complex surveys conducted by the author in 2012, 2016 and 2020. Those surveys contain a wide range of questions covering different important aspects of business incubators’ activities including BI 6 program, clients, environment, effectiveness, and finance. Practically this is the only study covering business incubation in Russia with that level of detail. Secondly, the research analyses the influence of the latest events like COVID-19 and the latest trends such as the rapid development of intra-corporate business accelerators on the state of business incubation in Russia to understand the reasons of the recent decline in quantity of BIs and possible ways out. In addition, the comparative analysis of business incubators in the context of EEs in different countries (USA, Europe, India, China) conducted in the paper helps to discover best practices and possible solutions which could fit Russian market and foster future growth

Institutions, Networks and Entrepreneurship Development in Russia: An Exploration

In this paper we explore the ways in which institutions and networks influence entrepreneurial development in Russia. By utilizing new Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data collected in 2001, we investigate the effects of the weak institutional environment in Russia in terms of three dimensions: on the rate of productive entrepreneurial activity measured in terms of start-ups and existing business owners; on the characteristics of business owners; and on business financing. In addition, the analysis explores the effectiveness of Russia’s informal networks for circumventing the weak institutional environment for business development. Our results indicate that Russia’s business owners share many of the same characteristics as business owners in advanced western countries, though education is not associated with entrepreneurial activity. However, the main differences are in the sources of financing and the fact that relatively few individuals engage in productive entrepreneurial activity. Our results support the notion of the limited effectiveness of Russia’s networks for supporting entrepreneurial activity in its weak institutional environment.Entrepreneurship, Institutions, Networks, Russia