In Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Business Clusters, Panos Piperopoulos provides a comprehensive introduction to what entrepreneurship is all about, how and why entrepreneurs innovate and how innovation systems operate. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) constitute the backbone of most economies, so the author examines their characteristics and the crucial role played by the owners and entrepreneurs who innovate to ensure the survival and continued growth of their firms. He also includes the particular phenomena that arise where the entrepreneurs are either female or from ethnic groups, or where the context is that of a developing region or country. The importance of co-operative strategic alliances and networks between firms is discussed, along with how these strengthen SMEs' competitiveness. The concept of open innovation has been proposed as a new paradigm for the management of innovation and the author presents a hypothetical model for enhancing the competitiveness and performance of SMEs by properly utilizing employees' creative potential, emotional intelligence, tacit knowledge and innovative ideas. The contemporary model of business clusters, involving partnerships with competitors, agents, universities, research centres and local, regional and national governments is discussed. The ways, means and methods through which SMEs' competitiveness and innovation can be enhanced within business clusters is illustrated by cases that identify four types of SMEs, that behave differently and play different roles in the networks and clusters of which they form a part, but all of whose performance and competitiveness is a function of their position and role in the wider scheme of things.

In Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Business Clusters, Panos Piperopoulos provides a comprehensive introduction to what entrepreneurship is all about, how and why entrepreneurs innovate and how innovation systems operate. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) constitute the backbone of most economies, so the author examines their characteristics and the crucial role played by the owners and entrepreneurs who innovate to ensure the survival and continued growth of their firms. He also includes the particular phenomena that arise where the entrepreneurs are either female or from ethnic groups, or where the context is that of a developing region or country. The importance of co-operative strategic alliances and networks between firms is discussed, along with how these strengthen SMEs' competitiveness. The concept of open innovation has been proposed as a new paradigm for the management of innovation and the author presents a hypothetical model for enhancing the competitiveness and performance of SMEs by properly utilizing employees' creative potential, emotional intelligence, tacit knowledge and innovative ideas. The contemporary model of business clusters, involving partnerships with competitors, agents, universities, research centres and local, regional and national governments is discussed. The ways, means and methods through which SMEs' competitiveness and innovation can be enhanced within business clusters is illustrated by cases that identify four types of SMEs, that behave differently and play different roles in the networks and clusters of which they form a part, but all of whose performance and competitiveness is a function of their position and role in the wider scheme of things.

There has been increased emphasis on smart cities due to the economic, environmental and technological shifts that have impacted on society. This book focuses on how cities are becoming smarter, more innovative and entrepreneurial due to the increased pressures placed on them from societal changes in the global business environment. The book defines a smart city as an urban or rural development that integrates technology to enhance a city’s assets, which may include community services, parkland, education, transportation and energy sources. The book aims to examine the role that innovation has in creating smart cities by focusing on issues such as public transport, use of energy efficiency and sustainability practices. It helps to shed understanding on how cities have become smarter in the way they handle increased migration to urban and rural areas and decrease the strain on public finances.

The fields of entrepreneurship, innovation and regional development are inextricably linked, with people, organisations and the environment or their location, forming the main building blocks in an integrated model of value creation. This second edition of a key textbook draws on the diversity of approaches in these areas to produce a unified understanding of this important subject and its sub-sets. The author connects theory and practice using references to academic studies as well as industry sources. The importance of technology is highlighted throughout to demonstrate the value of new technology-based ventures and the role of technology for innovation in both organisational and spatial contexts. The economic and social contexts of entrepreneurship are covered in dedicated chapters offering an appreciation of multiple perspectives on key themes of growth and development. Drawing on insights and concepts from a wide range of disciplines such as business, sociology, economics, geography and management, this unique textbook introduces entrepreneurship to students from different backgrounds and varied interests. With a range of new case studies and coverage of emerging themes such as smart cities, ecosystems, female entrepreneurship and social and human capital, this book provides an expert exposition of the elaborate empire of entrepreneurship.

The world of business is constantly changing. Here, a cast of key players from Latin America explore the conceptual foundations, methodologies, and tools for mini-cases and business challenges to innovation and entrepreneurship in emerging markets.

Explores the success of major innovation and entrepreneurship clusters in OECD countries, the challenges they now face in sustaining their positions and the lessons for other places seeking to build successful clusters.

Essay from the year 2006 in the subject Business economics - Miscellaneous, grade: 1,8, Leipzig Graduate School of Management, course: Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Cluster Development, 11 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: In this paper I am going to discuss factors that initiate and drive the clustering of biotechnology companies. In a first step I will address the question of defining a cluster as such. I then turn to a discussion of believed beneficial outcomes by referring to the works of Porter who claims that among others clusters attract the formation of new businesses and also result in growth of the respective cluster . In the light of ten case studies I will then assess the relevance and impact of critical factors on the creation and development of biotechnology clusters. The findings of the case studies suggest relevant key factors and prerequisites for biotechnological clusters to emerge and to develop. Special emphasis will be placed on the question whether or not the beneficial outcomes of clustering as described by Porter can be confirmed by the case studies and the implications that follow as far as the beneficial outcomes are not being confirmed. The paper will conclude with a theoretical framework that is aimed at capturing the virtuous cycle of biotechnology clusters

This report finds that the lack of regional specialisation might be an important factor explaining the European competitiveness gap with leading global peers. The report presents the first systematic mapping and analysis of regional clusters across the EU-10. It describes the differences in regional specialisation across 38 cluster categories, the changes that have occurred in cluster specialisation patterns in the last few years, and the nature of the leading locations across individual cluster categories. The cluster sector gained a total of 1 million jobs between 2000 and 2004, an increase of about 10 per cent. Overall, the regional clusters account for almost two thirds of total employment in the cluster sector across the 10 new Member States. In recent years, strong clusters have emerged, such as in the automotive industry, but some other sectors lost economic importance (eg footwear). The figures in the report suggest that the economies of the EU-10 countries are still undergoing an intense structural change.

"An innovative book for an innovative topic." Charles Hampden-Turner Like the subject matter it covers, Clusters of Creativity is innovative and original. It breaks with popular interpretations of Silicon Valley and similar regions, which range from the hyperbolically laudatory to the contemptuously dismissive, and takes a critical, objective look at the lessons that these locations provide about innovation and entrepreneurship. Readable, yet rigorous in its analyses, the book provides a practical and balanced set of perspectives on how the powers of business creativity are fostered and sustained. It focuses not so much on the generations of high technologies but on the motivations and strategies of business leaders who turn revolutionary innovations into commercial realities. Clusters of Creativity demystifies the many enigmas that surround two leading capitals of the modern global economy, providing insights on managing innovation and entrepreneurship that are both eye-opening and broadly applicable to all organizations and industries. Clusters of Creativity will challenge assumptions, dispel myths, enlighten, inspire, and generally provoke thought. In an age where technology and hyperbole frequently go hand-in-hand, the book's well-founded insights are all the more refreshing and important.