With the global economy in a precarious position, nurturing new entrepreneurial high-technology firms is likely to comprise a key component of any policy to encourage economic growth, both in developed and developing countries. Recent high-technology ventures – such as retailing in the music industry – have shown how entrepreneurs can radically change, or even replace, the structure of existing industries.
High-Technology Entrepreneurship introduces and analyzes all the major aspects of high-technology small-firm formation and growth. Locational and functional aspects of the process, as well as how contexts for development may vary between developed and developing economies are also discussed. Other key topics that are addressed include:
- how high technology firms originate in theory and practice
- entrepreneurship theory
- incubators, science parks and clustering
- entrepreneurial strategy and finance.
Students taking Master's-level courses in entrepreneurship, technology, innovation, academic enterprise and industrial development will find this an essential textbook for completing their studies.
1. Introduction 2. The Role of the Technical Entrepreneur 3. Clusters, Incubators and Science Parks 4. Research and Development 5. Selling HTSF Products 6. Strategy 7. Finance 8. Conclusions
Biography
Ray Oakey is Professor of Business Development at the University of Manchester, UK. His research interests include the problems of innovation and growth in high-technology industry in general, and high-technology small firms in particular, at both UK national and international level. He is the author of High-Technology New Firms: Variable Barriers to Growth (Paul Chapman Publishing, 1995)
'This is an excellent read. It is provocative, thought-provoking and challenging. It is not a run-of-the-mill textbook that tries to describe every aspect of the topic. It is essential reading for anyone interested in any form of technical or scientific/academic entrepreneurship.'
David Smith, Nottingham Business School, The International Journal of Entrepreneurship & Innovation (13:4), 2012
'Ray Oakey draws on economic, political, technological and behavioural perspectives to present a rich, theoretically and empirically-grounded analysis of high-technology sectors past and present. Arguing for the continued economic policy focus on high-technology small firms, this thought-provoking work is a ‘must read’ for academics, policy-makers, practitioners and honours/postgraduate students.'
Sarah Cooper, University of Edinburgh Business School, UK
'Ray Oakey provides a comprehensive overview of all aspects of high technology small firm formation and growth. Full of historical gems, this book provides a candid reflection on some of the attempts made by policy-makers to artificially replicate HTSF growth – including repeated attempts by European planners to recreate Silicon Valley.'
Paul Trott, University of Portsmouth, UK and Technical University of Delft, the Netherlands
