It was not that long ago that it might have been possible to cover the topic of venture capital in one paper. Now, it is not possible to provide comprehensive coverage in even one book. The industry has flourished, as variations of he initial venture capital funds have been developed and now operates in most developing and developed economies. This is clearly reflected in this volume, which has a strong focus on Europe and Asia. Each of the papers is a stand alone effort. However, a full reading of the volume provides a panoramic picture of the global extent of venture capital, some of its challenges, and the likely direction of future efforts. Venture capital and the venture capitalist have been shown to have a positive impact on performance in many cases. This is clearly the reason why some many emerging economies want to increase the level of venture capital investment in their country.

This book advances our understanding of university spin-off creation and development in environments outside the high-tech clusters of the US. While there has been substantial university spin-off activity internationally in recent years, a number of major aspects are little understood. The authors argue that the nature of universities is changing as reduced public funding reflects a public debate on their role in society. An important aspect of this international phenomenon is an increased emphasis on the commercialization of university research and on academic entrepreneurship. These new ventures therefore involve the spinning-off of technology and knowledge generated by universities. The authors adopt a multi-level approach in their examination of university spin-offs. European case studies are specifically selected to reflect the diversity of the institutional environment. In particular, units of analysis involving universities, technology transfer offices, spin-off firms, finance providers and individual entrepreneurs and teams are extensively analysed in quantitative and qualitative studies. To conclude, policy implications for the future successful development of spin-offs are identified. This fascinating book will appeal to a wide-ranging audience including academics, policy makers, researchers and practitioners with an interest in academic entrepreneurship and university spin-offs, and, more generally, in business and management and entrepreneurship.

This book advances our understanding of university spin-off creation and development in environments outside the high-tech clusters of the US. While there has been substantial university spin-off activity internationally in recent years, a number of major aspects are little understood. The authors argue that the nature of universities is changing as reduced public funding reflects a public debate on their role in society. An important aspect of this international phenomenon is an increased emphasis on the commercialization of university research and on academic entrepreneurship. These new ventures therefore involve the spinning-off of technology and knowledge generated by universities. The authors adopt a multi-level approach in their examination of university spin-offs. European case studies are specifically selected to reflect the diversity of the institutional environment. In particular, units of analysis involving universities, technology transfer offices, spin-off firms, finance providers and individual entrepreneurs and teams are extensively analysed in quantitative and qualitative studies. To conclude, policy implications for the future successful development of spin-offs are identified. This fascinating book will appeal to a wide-ranging audience including academics, policy makers, researchers and practitioners with an interest in academic entrepreneurship and university spin-offs, and, more generally, in business and management and entrepreneurship.

It was not that long ago that it might have been possible to cover the topic of venture capital in one paper. Now, it is not possible to provide comprehensive coverage in even one book. The industry has flourished, as variations of he initial venture capital funds have been developed and now operates in most developing and developed economies. This is clearly reflected in this volume, which has a strong focus on Europe and Asia. Each of the papers is a stand alone effort. However, a full reading of the volume provides a panoramic picture of the global extent of venture capital, some of its challenges, and the likely direction of future efforts. Venture capital and the venture capitalist have been shown to have a positive impact on performance in many cases. This is clearly the reason why some many emerging economies want to increase the level of venture capital investment in their country.