Technical entreprenenurship in high technology small firms: Some observations on the implications for management

There is much current interest, both in the encouragement of entrepreneurship, and in the formation and growth difficulties encountered by high technology small firms. This paper seeks to inform these concerns by offering a number of conceptual insights on the role of the technical entrepreneur in the high technology firm formation and growth process. Since many new high technology firms are founded by technical entrepreneurs (often from university backgrounds), an understanding of the factors that influence the behaviour of such individuals is highly pertinent to future policies aimed at encouraging this key type of high technology enterprise. By exploring aspects of the strategic approaches adopted by these individuals, this paper seeks to provide guiding principles for such policies. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.