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The creation of cleantech startups at the local level: the role of knowledge availability and environmental awareness

Author

Listed:
  • Giancarlo Giudici

    (Politecnico di Milano School of Management)

  • Massimiliano Guerini

    (Politecnico di Milano School of Management)

  • Cristina Rossi-Lamastra

    (Politecnico di Milano School of Management)

Abstract

In this paper, we explore which local factors affect the creation of cleantech startups in a geographical area. Specifically, we note that these startups combine innovation and attention to the environment. Thus, we consider two primary sets of local factors: the availability of scientific and technological knowledge and the environmental awareness of local governments and communities as the main drivers of the creation of cleantech startups. Using a dataset of 393 cleantech startups created between 2012 and 2014 and extracted from the Italian official database of innovative startups, we estimate negative binomial regressions whose dependent variable is the number of cleantech startups created in each of the 110 Italian provinces. The results highlight that both the local availability of scientific and technological knowledge and the local environmental awareness are crucial determinants of cleantech entrepreneurship in a geographical area. We discuss the implications of these results for policymakers who intend to stimulate this type of entrepreneurship.

Suggested Citation

  • Giancarlo Giudici & Massimiliano Guerini & Cristina Rossi-Lamastra, 2019. "The creation of cleantech startups at the local level: the role of knowledge availability and environmental awareness," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 52(4), pages 815-830, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:52:y:2019:i:4:d:10.1007_s11187-017-9936-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-017-9936-9
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cleantech startups; Local knowledge; Environmental awareness; Firm creation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • Q55 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Technological Innovation

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