KNOWLEDGE-BASED ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE: MYTH AND REALITY

This paper summarises results of a survey of 304 knowledge based firms in six centraland east European (CEE) countries. Knowledge-based entrepreneurs in CEE are not‘gazelles’ (i.e., fast growing new technology based firms which have the potential toreshape the industrial landscape). They consist of distinct types of companies, ofwhich new technology based firms (NTBFs) are only one. The key factor in KBEfirms’ growth is most often firm specific capabilities which do not always involveR&D. Based on factor analysis we develop several taxonomies of KBEs which allpoint to a specific nature of knowledge based entrepreneurship in CEE. The networksof KBEs are broader and more frequently involve innovation system actors, includingprofessional networks. For different types of KBEs different networks are important....