Innovative entrepreneurship policy : linking innovation and entrepreneurship in a European context

• Today it is a well-established fact that small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are important for economic growth and renewal. The ‘carrying out of new combinations’ may, however, have less to do with the size of a firm or organization, instead ‘newness’ in the form of innovation and entrepreneurship has again caught the attention of many academics and policymakers. Even so it is argued in this paper that the two areas of innovation policy a d entrepreneurship policy (both relatively recent as distinct policy areas) are seldom integrated and the concept of ‘innovative entrepreneurship policy’ has not yet fully emerged. This paper attempts to make a bridge between and integrate innovation and entrepreneurship policy. The paper presents an overview of innovation and entrepreneurship policies as derivatives of other policy areas, hinting at why it might be problematic to integrate an innovative entrepreneurship policy into existing policy areas. It is argued that public policy promoting innovation and economic growth must also involve instruments promoting entrepreneurship. Since this task is not easily accomplished, the concept of an Innovative entrepreneurship policy is also introduced in the discussion. It is argued that policies in favor of ‘innovative’ entrepreneurship should be considered in the context of a ‘holistic’ entrepreneurship policy framework. For innovative entrepreneurship to be able to fully contribute to economic growth and development it is suggested that its importance will need to be further acknowledged in innovation as well as entrepreneurship policies.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Företagsekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Business Administration (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business (hsv//eng)

Keyword

small- and medium-sized enterprises; science and technology; innovative firms; entrepreneurial firms; start-ups

Business studies

Företagsekonomi

Entrepreneurship

innovation

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)