By serving as a conduit for knowledge spillovers, entrepreneurship is the missing link between investments in knowledge and economic growth. Entrepreneurship is an important mechanism permeating the knowledge filter to facilitate the spill over of knowledge and ultimately generate economic growth.

Audretsch, Keilbach, and Lehmann artfully integrate a wide array of findings on firm and industry dynamics, R&D and growth, geography, and startups into a new theory of regional entrepreneurship. Researchers interested in the determinants of entrepreneurship and policy makers looking to promote entrepreneurial activity will find a revealing set of new empirical findings about regional entrepreneurship and economic growth.

"Audretsch, Keilbach, and Lehmann artfully integrate a wide array of findings on firm and industry dynamics, R&D and growth, geography, and startups into a new theory of regional entrepreneurship. Researchers interested in the determinants of entrepreneurship and policy makers looking to promote entrepreneurial activity will find a revealing set of new empirical findings about regional entrepreneurship and economic growth."--Steven Klepper, Arthur Arton Hamerschlag Professor of Economics and Social Science Carnegie Mellon University "There has been an explosion of entrepreneurship research in economics in the past half-decade. This reflects both the importance of entrepreneurs as a spur to economic growth and the extent of interesting economic questions posed by the new firm phenomenon. This book, which is squarely positioned in this exciting and dynamic literature, helps build our understanding of this important phenomenon through an in depth study of the German experience."--Josh Lerner, Jacob H. Schiff Professor of Investment Banking, Harvard Business School "Entrepreneurship makes an important contribution to economic growth, and creating an entrepreneurial economy has become a primary goal of public policy. This important book provides answers to two simple but profound questions: *why* does entrepreneurship matter, and *how* does entrepreneurship matter? The authors provide convincing evidence that incumbent firms and other organizations are often unable to realize fully the returns to their own knowledge investments, and that entrepreneurship provides a conduit for the spillover of knowledge that might otherwise have remained uncommercialized. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in economic growth and development and industrial policy."--Frank R. Lichtenberg, Columbia University "In this exquisitely researched volume, Audretsch, Keilbach and Lehmann offer a compelling rationale for the emergence of a new form of economic development policy. They argue for entrepreneurship - the formation and growth of economically viable businesses - as an engine of economic growth. Entrepreneurship policy focuses on the businesses that convert investment into returns. Their compelling argument is that the new entrepreneurship policy has far more promise than previous approaches in an increasingly global, knowledge-intensive economic era. I highly recommend this volume for those seeking to understand the increasingly complex, interdependent dynamics that take place in a 'flat,' information-rich and interconnected world."--Rita Gunther McGrath, Associate Professor, Columbia University Graduate School of Business "Audretsch, Keilbach, and Lehmann artfully integrate a wide array of findings on firm and industry dynamics, R&D and growth, geography, and startups into a new theory of regional entrepreneurship. Researchers interested in the determinants of entrepreneurship and policy makers looking to promote entrepreneurial activity will find a revealing set of new empirical findings about regional entrepreneurship and economic growth."--Steven Klepper, Arthur Arton Hamerschlag Professor of Economics and Social Science Carnegie Mellon University "There has been an explosion of entrepreneurship research in economics in the past half-decade. This reflects both the importance of entrepreneurs as a spur to economic growth and the extent of interesting economic questions posed by the new firm phenomenon. This book, which is squarely positioned in this exciting and dynamic literature, helps build our understanding of this important phenomenon through an in depth study of the German experience."--Josh Lerner, Jacob H. Schiff Professor of Investment Banking, Harvard Business School "Entrepreneurship makes an important contribution to economic growth, and creating an entrepreneurial economy has become a primary goal of public policy. This important book provides answers to two simple but profound questions: *why* does entrepreneurship matter, and *how* does entrepreneurship matter? The authors provide convincing evidence that incumbent firms and other organizations are often unable to realize fully the returns to their own knowledge investments, and that entrepreneurship provides a conduit for the spillover of knowledge that might otherwise have remained uncommercialized. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in economic growth and development and industrial policy."--Frank R. Lichtenberg, Columbia University "In this exquisitely researched volume, Audretsch, Keilbach and Lehmann offer a compelling rationale for the emergence of a new form of economic development policy. They argue for entrepreneurship - the formation and growth of economically viable businesses - as an engine of economic growth. Entrepreneurship policy focuses on the businesses that convert investment into returns. Their compelling argument is that the new entrepreneurship policy has far more promise than previous approaches in an increasingly global, knowledge-intensive economic era. I highly recommend this volume for those seeking to understand the increasingly complex, interdependent dynamics that take place in a 'flat,' information-rich and interconnected world."--Rita Gunther McGrath, Associate Professor, Columbia University Graduate School of Business

David B. Audretsch, Director of the Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy Division at the Max Planck Institute of Economics; Ameritech Chair of Economic Development and Director of the Institute of Development Strategies at Indiana University