Entrepreneurship, growth and public policy interview posted

Last January, David Audretsch was interviewed by Romesh Vaitilingam at the American Economic Association meetings in New Orleans. The interview has just been posted, and you can listen to David discuss Entrepreneurship, growth and public policy.


Audretsch awarded Honary Doctorate from University of Augsburg

Doctorate CeremonyJuly 2, 2008, the University of Augsburg, Germany, honored Professor David B. Audretsch with an honorary doctorate.  David B. Audretsch is ranked as one of the world’s most frequently cited economists and he spent many years in Germany. Since 2003 he has been the director of the Max Planck Institute of Economics in Jena, Germany.  At the same time he is the director for Development and Strategies at Indiana University in Bloomington (USA).

His research focuses on small and middle sized enterprises, innovation behavior, enterprise growth, competition and industrial policy, and, especially, entrepreneurship.  His research has produced nine books, which have been published with some of the most renowned American and English publishing houses, and more than 100 essays have been published in international journals, many in the top journals for economics. Audretsch’s most recent book, The Entrepreneurial Society, published by Oxford University Press is a great case study between the German and American economic systems from the 1950s to present day.  He takes the reader through the managed economy of the cold war era to the entrepreneurial society as the answer to today’s question of globalization.

The event was kicked-off by a welcoming speech from University of Augsburg’s president, Prof. Dr. Wilfried Bottke and was followed by a speech by Prof. Dr. Peter Welzel, of the economics faculty.  To end the affair, Professor Audretsch extolled his thanks in a speech and signing of the University of Augsburg honorary guestbook. 

David B. Audretsch


Welcome to The Entrepreneurial Society

The Entrepreneurial Society by David Audretsch (Oxford University Press)Your father enjoyed the security of lifelong employment with one company. You’ve switched jobs several times. Today’s youth will have four employers by the time they reach 30. In The Entrepreneurial Society, the next generation will either be self-employed or employed by a friend.

With globalization, where jobs and factories can be moved quickly to low-cost locations, the competitive advantage has shifted to ideas, insights, and innovation. If your job doesn’t contribute to innovation as yesterday’s technology is replaced, don’t expect to have that job much longer. The Entrepreneurial Society relies on individuals to create growth, jobs, and competitiveness.

In The Entrepreneurial Society, award-winning economist David B. Audretsch identifies the positive, proactive response to globalization: The Entrepreneurial Society, where change is the rule and routine work is inevitably outsourced. Under the managed economy of the cold war era, government policies around the world supported big business, while small business was deemed irrelevant and largely ignored. The author documents the fundamental policy revolution currently underway. As communities shift support to technology and knowledge-based entrepreneurship, the resulting start-ups have emerged as the driving force for economic growth and job creation. Universities have moved from the economic sidelines to a highly valued seedbed of new ideas with the potential to create not just breathtaking new ventures but also entire new industries. By understanding and managing the shift from the managed economy to The Entrepreneurial Society, individuals, businesses, universities, and communities can learn how to proactively harness the opportunities afforded by globalization.