Abstract
Technology-based entrepreneurs in Latin America face different institutional environments and have less access to knowledge and resources than those in industrialized economies. Opportunity discovery and construction therefore follow also different paths. Results from a set of parallel case studies in Argentina, Colombia and Mexico, explore some differences in terms of the role of available technological and market knowledge, and in terms of the entrepreneur’s background. But also, strong similarities among these countries’ economic development, their R&D infrastructure, and their institutional environments, shape similar patterns in their entrepreneurs’ endeavours. These patterns have important public policy implications for promoting innovation in transitional economies.
Highlights
Entrepreneurship research has grown in the last few decades
Ample literature has been published about how entrepreneurs discover and enact business opportunities in industrialized economies (BLOCK; FISCH; VAN PRAAG, 2017; CHOI; SHEPHERD, 2004; COOPER; PARK, 2008; DAVIDSSON; HONIG, 2003; DAVIDSSON; WIKLUND, 2009; RERUP, 2005; SHANE, 2000; SHANE; VENKATARAMAN, 2000)
Different sources of knowledge were found among Latin American entrepreneurs participating in this study: Work experience enables the identification of market needs, leading to the identification of the opportunity
Summary
Entrepreneurship research has grown in the last few decades. Its importance is frequently underscored because of its impact on employment growth, competitiveness improvement and economic growth (BLOCK; FISCH; VAN PRAAG, 2017; GONZÁLEZ-PERNÍA; JUNG; PEÑA, 2015; LEDERMAN; MESSINA; PIENKNAGURA; RIGOLINI, 2014; SARASVATHY, 2001), among other things. There is a prolific literature on the development of regional innovation systems, industrial districts, innovative milieu, or innovation clusters, where the role of knowledge-based entrepreneurship is central This literature includes research on the processes through which technology-based firms attract and develop a talent pool and human capital that shares significant explicit and tacit knowledge about technological resources and about the technology commercialization process (LONGHI, 1999; HARRISON; COOPER; MASON, 2004; KEEBLE; LAWSON; MOORE; WILKINSON, 1999). In those contexts, this knowledge is channelled to entrepreneurs and new technology-based firms through incubators and other organizations (COOPER; PARK, 2008)
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