Sources of Bioentrepreneurship : The Cases of Germany and Japan

This study starts from the premise that in thebiotechnology sector, entrepreneurial companies have been a major stimulus forthe development of the industry. It focuses on Japan and Germany and theirrecent involvement in the industry of biotechnology, looking at how contextfactors may have impacted sources of bioentrepreneurship. The research is of an exploratory, descriptive nature, and uses secondarydata (industry reports, scientific papers, news reports, and governmentpublications) as well as primary qualitative data (interviews withbioentrepreneurs and industry experts in Germany and Japan). First, the authorsoffer a comprehensive picture of the biotechnology sector; second, an overviewof the biotechnology industry in Japan and Germany is presented, followed by acomparison of the influences of some external factors on sources ofentrepreneurship in these countries. The findings suggest that there are different patterns for the sources ofbiotechnological entrepreneurship in the countries studied. In Germany, mostbiotechnology companies have been formed by individuals from researchinstitutions (universities and public laboratories); in Japan, large companiesplay an important role in the formation of biotechnology companies, being alsoinvolved in an industrial group as research sponsors, investors, or co-sponsorsin many start-ups established by university researchers. Recommendations aremade for future quantitative analyses and other research.(CBS)