The normal enterprise, contrary to widespread prejudice, can do well out of intense knowledge, without bothering with snobbish high-tech delusions. In this respect, the present book deals with all the questions you might have been afraid to ask. It offers explanation, policy and practical conclusions in an international perspective. It is a compelling read!' - Arndt Sorge, Professor Emeritus, WZB, GermanyThis book contributes to the discussion about the relevance of knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship for industrial innovation in the context of traditional low-technology industries. There is a widespread assumption that low-tech industries offer limited opportunities for entrepreneurial activity due to their mature character. Yet there are indications that the phenomenon is finally emerging in these traditional sectors. This detailed book contributes to the ongoing political debate on relevant policy measures to promote future industrial innovation. It extends awareness of the relevance of low-tech industries for future economic and societal development, linking both scientific and political perspectives. Detailed chapters identify the typical patterns, prerequisites and impacts of knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship, as well as the distribution of entrepreneurial activities in low-tech sectors. The authors conclude with policy recommendations to promote such activities. This book will appeal to social scientists, economists and students of innovation and entrepreneurship studies. Policy-makers and company representatives will also find much of interest in this book, with its surprising insights into a field that has been so far neglected in the scientific as well as the policy-oriented debate. Contributors: Y.D. Caloghirou, T.F. Fernandes, M.M. Godinho, A. Havas, H. Hirsch-Kreinsen, G. Karagouni, I. Kastelli, R.P. Mamede, A. Protogerou, I. Schwinge, A. Tsakanikas, A.Y. Yudanov

This book presents the first multidimensional investigation of KIE in the context of low-tech industries and gives insights in paradox conditions and specific mechanisms, using the example of the German textile industry. Therefore, the author solves conceptual inconsistencies and develops an alternative framework referring to systemic concepts of sectoral innovation systems and KIE as well as to the concept of institutional entrepreneurs. As a result, the deviation of willful actors from a restricting institutional environment and sources of entrepreneurial opportunities can be investigated more comprehensively.