How Persistent are Regional Start-Up Rates? An Empirical Analysis

We investigate regional differences in the level and the development of regional new business formation activity. There is a pronounced variance of start-up rates across the regions. The level of regional new firm formation is rather path-dependent resulting in relatively small changes. The main factors determining the level of regional start-ups are innovative activity and entrepreneurship. These factors are also responsible for changes in the level of regional new business formation. The growth of regional demand and regional unemployment do not play a significant role for the change of regional start-up activity. Steering innovation and creating an entrepreneurial atmosphere could be an appropriate starting point for policy measures that try to promote start-ups. Our empirical evidence strongly suggests that such measures may have significant effect only in the long run.