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Book abstract:
Silicon Valley was a mature community before we heard of Silicon Glen. It would be different in the next telecommunications breakthrough we were assured. So why has the Internet failed to produce European Internet Entrepreneur counterparts to those in the US? This work examines the reasons and the interplay between internet entrepreneurship and public policy.
Organised over eight chapters, the work begins with an introductory chapter on the uneven development and internet entrepreneurship in Europe. Chapters two and three focus on the global nature of the internet opportunity and explore the themes of globalisation and global convergence. Chapter four addresses the German experience and the various initiatives, such as research policy, venture capital support programmes and the promotion of the national online service BTX. It also discusses German government policy in relation to Deutsche Telekom strategy which leads into the discussion in chapter five. Here the focus is on telecommunications liberalisation and its impact on the demand for internet services in Germany. Chapter six uses a survey of over 120 internet start-ups in Germany for a detailed look at the enterprise level and to explore the overall impact of different policies of competitiveness. Comparison of the German situation with other European experiences, particularly Sweden, is the substance of chapter seven. The concluding chapter eight features discussion of the timing of policy reform and internet entrepreneurship in Europe.
The work will interest students, scholars, policy makers and researchers and business people engaged in communications, European studies, and the new network economy.
Niko Marcel Waesche is Principal in the Communications Sector of Business Consulting Services at IBM, Germany.
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