Regional emergence of start-ups in information technologies : the role of knowledge, skills and opportunities

We investigate the regional emergence of new information technology start-ups in Germany. The largest share of these start-ups is located in cities or densely populated regions that are well equipped with institutions of higher education and research. The empirical analysis clearly indicates the critical role of industry-specific knowledge plays for new. Hence, strengthening the regional knowledge base should be a key policy that aims at stimulating entrepreneurship in this sector.