Regional Entrepreneurship subject of study conducted by Global Entrepreneurship Monitor
Knowing the reality of regional Entrepreneurship, its relation with economic development and the factors that determine the conditions that encourage or restrain the entrepreneurial dynamics in the Region, is the main goal of a research project to be develop by the University of the Azores and by the SPI Ventures - Creation and New Business Development, SA, with the support of the Government, through the Regional Secretariat for the Economy.
The study which will be developed under the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, designated as GEM - Azores aims to develop a strategy which, involving various entities, will focus on entrepreneurship, in a concerted effort, thus integrating the stages of promotion, investment and incubation of new companies and involving youth, education, research and development and economic policies.
By supporting this initiative, the Azorean Government intends to create conditions so that the various governmental departments, business associations, university and other entities associated to the education system may be in possession of the elements that indicate what are the levels of entrepreneurship in the Azores, how to encourage entrepreneurial behaviour among youngsters and how to create a favourable environment to stimulate the entrepreneurial spirit.
One should remind that the Regional Government has developed a group of initiatives in order to stimulate the entrepreneurial spirit over the last years, with special emphasis on the Regional Competitions: Entrepreneurship and Young Entrepreneurs (Empreende Jovem) – support system to entrepreneurship.
Hence, the work to be developed by the University of the Azores and by the SPI Ventures aims to contribute to the implementation of a strategy to boost entrepreneurship in Azores, in a concerted effort, integrating the stages of promotion, investment and incubation of new companies and involving youth, education, research and development and economic policies.
The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor project (GEM) aims to analyse the relation between the entrepreneurship level and the economic growth level in several countries and, simultaneously, determine the conditions that encourage and restrain the entrepreneurial dynamics in each country. Following a joint initiative of the Babson College (United States of America) and the London Business School (United Kingdom), this project was created in 1999, being implemented in 10 countries. Moreover, the project has been expanding, counting upon the collaboration of 56 countries and hundreds of researchers at the present moment. It is the largest entrepreneurship study worldwide.