Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Economic Development (WIDER Studies in Development Economics)

Entrepreneurship and innovation are two of the most pervasive concepts of our times, yet there are still gaps in our understanding of the interactions between entrepreneurship and innovation, particularly in developing countries. This book is an attempt to fill this gap. It focuses on the entrepreneurship-innovation-development nexus, drawing heavily on empirical evidence from developing countries. Cross-country and individual country experiences cover nations as diverse as Ethiopia, India, Turkey, Vietnam, and also examine lessons from advanced economies such as Finland.

Three sets of questions are addressed. What is the impact of entrepreneurship and innovation on growth and development? What determines the innovative performance of entrepreneurs in developing countries? What role does the institutional environment play in shaping the extent and impact of innovative activities?

A key message is that entrepreneurial innovation, whether through small firms, large national firms, or multinational firms, is often vibrant in developing countries, but does not always realise its full potential. This is due to institutional constraints, the absence of the appropriate mix of different types of small and large and domestic and foreign firms, and insufficiently developed firm capabilities. The contributions provide a better understanding of the determinants and impacts of innovation in developing countries and the policies and institutions that support or hinder innovation.

Adam Szirmai's research focuses on the measurement and analysis of technological change, productivity and growth in manufacturing in a developing country context. He has been involved in research projects in manufacturing in Indonesia, China, South Korea, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa and Japan. In 2001, Palgrave Press published his volume on Tanzanian industrialization, co-edited with Paul Lapperre entitled The Industrial Experience of Tanzania. His textbook on development studies, The Dynamics of Socio-economic Development was published by Cambridge University Press in 2005.

Wim Naude is a graduate of the University of Warwick. He has been research officer at the University of Oxford, and director of research at North-West University, South Africa. He has also served as a board member of the International Council for Small Business. His research focuses on global economic development, geographical economics, and entrepreneurship. He is editor of the book Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, published by Palgrave Macmillan. He has been guest editor of a special issue of Small Business Economics devoted to entrepreneurship and economic development, and of the European Journal of Development Research, dealing with female entrepreneurship in developing countries.

Micheline Goedhuys holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Leuven, Belgium. She has worked as a consultant for several international organizations such as the World Bank and the ILO. She has published widely in international journals on topics related to entrepreneurship, small business development, and innovation and firm performance in developing countries, with a particular focus on Africa. She has recently been guest editor of Structural Change and Economic Dynamics and the European Journal of Development Research for a special issue on "Micro-evidence on Innovation and Development".