How can a cluster policy enhance entrepreneurship? Evidence from the German 'BioRegio' case

Claire Champenois (1)

1 Audencia Recherche

I investigate the mechanisms through which a cluster policy can enhance entrepreneurship defined as new venture creation. The paper is based on the study of a cluster policy ('BioRegio') that strongly simulated new firm creation in biotechnology in Germany after 1996. The process induced by BioRegio at the territory level is analyzed over a ten-year period (1995-2004). I identify a three-step social mechanism through which a cluster policy can enhance entrepreneurship. The presented results strengthen the literature on cluster policies and clusters on the specific issue of entrepreneurship: four main contributions are suggested.

Mots clés: Academic entrepreneurs; BioRegio; Biotechnology; Regional innovation systems; Institutional theory

Domaines: Gestion et management

Claire Champenois. How can a cluster policy enhance entrepreneurship? Evidence from the German 'BioRegio' case. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 2012, 30 (5), pp.796-815. ⟨10.1068/c1180⟩. ⟨hal-00936094⟩