Early in the new millennium the EU is confronted with major decisions concerning its broad European socio-economic targets. Prominent among these is long-term growth and competitiveness where science and technology (S&T) policy is also directly relevant. The efforts to build the European Research Area (ERA) and to meet the Lisbon criteria are, largely, manifestations of the desire to achieve sustainable long-term growth and competitiveness.

In addition, the meaning and relevance of the European Paradox for advanced research not fully transformed in relevant innovations and highly successful new products and processes has been at the centre of the policy debate. In this respect, the interplay between science, technological advance, industrial dynamics and international performance, and the relationship with human resources, remain key analytical and policy concerns. The strategic role of entrepreneurship and innovation networks and systems– the complex webs of relationships among firms, universities, and other organizations and the role of institutions for generating and sharing knowledge relevant to innovation – has also entered the core of the S&T policy agenda. At the same time, the role of new technology-based firms in industry startup and rejuvenation, in labour mobility, and in knowledge communication and their positioning in innovation networks has never before been more critical to understand the solution of the European Paradox and the meeting of the Lisbon criteria.

This conference aims at examining the relevance, features and developments of knowledge-based entrepreneurship (KBE). By going beyond the person-centric approach of traditional literature on the subject the conference will emphasize the role of the complex interactions between science, technology and innovation, as mediated by specific organizations and institutions, networks and national and sectoral innovation systems. Specifically the focus of the conference will be on three types of KBE: start-up entrepreneurship, corporate entrepreneurship and academic entrepreneurship within networks and sectoral systems.

Proposals should aim to:

1. Examine the role of start- up entrepreneurship, as well as corporate entrepreneurship within networks of alliances and social networks.
2. Analyze the different role played by KBE in different sectoral and national systems of innovation by paying specific attention to the role of universities (academic entrepreneurs) and venture capital.

Date and location:

The DIME conference will be held at CESPRI – Università Bocconi in Milan, on Monday and Tuesday, June 4-5, 2007.

Timetable:

• 2nd Conference announcement: March 1, 2007
• Deadline for abstract submission: March 15, 2007.
• Decision of paper acceptance: before April 1, 2007.
• Submission of full papers: May 15, 2007.

Emails marked ‘DIME’ with a one-page abstract & contact details should be sent in an attached file to Franco Malerba franco.malerba@unibocconi.it AND to Roberto Fontana roberto.fontana@unibocconi.it.

You may also apply for funding to cover travel and accommodation expenses, which will be available to DIME members with accepted papers. Please specify that you are DIME member, as well as the budget.

Conference scientific commitee:

• Franco Malerba, CESPRI, Bocconi Unversity, Italy
• Francesco Lissoni, University of Brescia and CESPRI, Bocconi University, Italy
• Maureen McKelvey, RIDE, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
• Patrick Llerena, BETA, Universitè Louis Pasteur, France
• David Audretsch, Max Planck Institute for Research into Economic Systems, Germany
• Emanuel Mira Godinho, ISEG, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Portugal
• Slavo Radosevic, University College London, UK

Local conference organisers:

• Franco Malerba, CESPRI, Bocconi University, Italy
• Roberto Fontana, University of Pavia and CESPRI, Bocconi University, Italy
• Camilla Lenzi, CESPRI, Bocconi University, Italy