Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/174378 
Year of Publication: 
2018
Series/Report no.: 
Jena Economic Research Papers No. 2018-001
Publisher: 
Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena
Abstract: 
We investigate the role of entrepreneurship culture and the historical knowledge base of a region on current levels of new business formation in innovative industries. The analysis is for German regions and covers the time period 1907-2014. We find a pronounced positive relationship between high levels of historical self-employment in science-based industries and new business formation in innovative industries today. This long-term legacy effect of entrepreneurial tradition indicates the prevalence of a regional culture of entrepreneurship. Moreover, local presence and geographic proximity to a technical university founded before the year 1900 is positively related to the level of innovative start-ups more than a century later. The results show that a considerable part of the knowledge that constitutes an important source of entrepreneurial opportunities is deeply rooted in history. We draw conclusions for policy and for further research.
Subjects: 
Innovative start-ups
universities
regional knowledge
regional cultures of entrepreneurship
JEL: 
L26
L60
L80
O18
R12
R30
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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