This book offers a dynamic perspective on regional entrepreneurship, knowledge, innovation and economic growth, with a particular focus on the role that history and culture play. The authors provide comprehensive empirical analyses offering unique insights into the spatial patterns of long-term differences of regional self-employment, new business formation, cultures of entrepreneurship, innovation activities, and development. Policy implications from the analyses and a discussion of important avenues for future research complete this unique book combining history, culture, and entrepreneurship.
This is a superb book with an original, historical take on entrepreneurship and regional development. It is a landmark study on Germany showing that regional levels of entrepreneurship are persistent and resilient, despite many disruptive shocks.
Ron Boschma, Utrecht University, The Netherlands, and Stavanger University, Norway
This book presents the distilled wisdom of two leading authorities on the link between entrepreneurship and economic prosperity at a regional level. Although its prime empirical focus is on Germany there are clear lessons for scholars and policy-makers in all high-income countries.
David J Storey, University of Sussex, UK

Introduction

Entrepreneurship culture and regional development
Setting the stage: Self-employment and new business formation in Germany 1907, 1925 and Today
The persistence of regional entrepreneurship
The case of East Germany
Regional entrepreneurship culture and growth
The role of knowledge
Traditions of self-employment and the entrepreneurial personality profile of the population
Summary and outlook: What can be learned?