This paper investigates the contribution of local knowledge endowment to employment growth in nanotechnology firms. We exploit a unique data set focusing on firms operating in fields that apply nanotechnology. Our findings suggest that regions that offer knowledge can stimulate employment growth...

Scientific literature postulates that nanotechnology is to be considered as general purpose technology (GPT), characterized by pervasiveness, high technological dynamism and the inducement of innovations within a variety of applications. We set out to not only further systematize existing...

This book tackles the different aspects of the creation and transmission of knowledge in the context of the characteristics of a general purpose technology. Nanotechnology is investigated as showcase example. Particular emphasis is put on the role of the composition of knowledge as well as the...

Nanotechnologies are expected to be the dominant general purpose technology of the next decades. Their market potential is immense and especially demand side arguments will have far reaching consequences for innovations. They may occur as increased miniaturization or via building completely new...

Recent discussions about the evolvement of nanotechnologies criticize that the notion 'risk' is too abstract and an all-inclusive category. Moreover, the concept of risk is not precise enough to describe the potential issues related to the development of nanotechnologies. Instead, experts of...

Das Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) fördert die Entwicklung der Nanotechnologie in Deutschland mithilfe einer Vielzahl von Instrumenten. Allerdings liegen bislang wenige Studien vor, deren Fokus die Unternehmensperspektive im Innovationsprozess von Nanotechnologien einnimmt....

This paper investigates the role of nanotechnologies as a general purpose technology for regional development. Due to pervasiveness, nanotechnologies may be utilized in diverse applications thereby providing the basis for both localization and urbanization externalities. We carry out patent and...