Entrepreneurship and growth are central concerns of policy makers around the world. Local Heroes in the Global Village introduces public policies for the promotion of entrepreneurship on a comparative, primarily German-American level. The book contributes to the debate what role public policies play in stimulating national and regional economic growth. With a better understanding of the complexity and variety of existent entrepreneurship policies in the U.S. and Germany the reader of this volume will be able to formulate best practice, hands-on strategies which aim to promote nations as well as regions in an "entrepreneurial economy."

This book examines ways in which formerly prosperous regions can renew their economy during and after a period of industrial and economic recession. Using New York's Capital Region (i.e., Albany, Troy, Schenectady, etc.) as a case study, the authors show how entrepreneurship, innovation, investment in education, research and political collaboration are critical to achieving regional success. In this way, the book provides other regions and nations with a real-life model for successful economic development. In the past half century, the United States and other nations have seen an economic decline of formerly prosperous regions as a result of new technology and globalization. One of the hardest-hit United States regions is Upstate New York or "the Capital Region"; it experienced a demoralizing hemorrhage of manufacturing companies, jobs and people to other regions and countries. To combat this, the region, with the help of state leaders, mounted a decades-long effort to renew and restore the region's economy with a particular focus on nanotechnology. As a result, New York's Capital Region successfully added thousands of well-paying, skill-intensive manufacturing jobs. New York's success story serves as a model for economic development for policy makers that includes major public investments in educational institutions and research infrastructure; partnerships between academia, industry and government; and creation of frameworks for intra-regional collaboration by business, government, and academic actors. Featuring recommendations for best practices in regional development policy, this book is appropriate for scholars, students, researchers and policy makers in regional development, innovation, R&D policy, economic development and economic growth.

As a result of globalization, strategies for investments in innovation capabilities have gained considerably in importance for businesses, research institutions and policymakers. Public policy has to provide conditions for investments in R&D and innovation that are internationally attractive and effective in stimulating innovation, economic growth and job creation. This book focuses on the changing roles and challenges of innovation and growth policy, and the strategies and measures that are critical in a globalizing world. It provides guidance for innovation policy strategy formulations and design of innovation policy measures.Globalization and the innovation imperative towards sustained economic growth require a major renewal and deepening of public policy thinking and strategies. This book focuses on these policy challenges, and the policy strategies and measures that are critical for innovation and growth in a globalizing world. Topics include: globalization and offshoring of software, the multilateral trading system and competition, innovative entrepreneurship, research frameworks and innovation awards, the globalization of converging nanotechnologies, and the relationship between knowledge and innovation. Science and technology policy makers, university professors and graduate students in public policy, innovation, business and economics will find much of value in this book.

Entrepreneurship and growth are central concerns of policy makers around the world. Local Heroes in the Global Village introduces public policies for the promotion of entrepreneurship on a comparative, primarily German-American level. The book contributes to the debate what role public policies play in stimulating national and regional economic growth. With a better understanding of the complexity and variety of existent entrepreneurship policies in the U.S. and Germany the reader of this volume will be able to formulate best practice, hands-on strategies which aim to promote nations as well as regions in an "entrepreneurial economy."