The effect of regional differences on the performance of software firms in the Netherlands

This paper aims to explore the effect of regional differences on the performance of software firms in the Netherlands. Inspired by evolutionary economics, we account for the impact of: (1) co-location and sharing a local knowledge base; (2) pre-entry experience in the same or related industries; (3) being connected; and, (4) having organizational capabilities to cope with change. The outcomes of the regression analyses on data gathered among 265 software firms suggest that firms located in regions specialized in ICT have a higher innovative productivity. Spin-offs and firms with organizational capabilities also perform better, while network relationships do not affect the performance of software firms. Copyright 2005, Oxford University Press.