"La nascita di imprese a scala regionale: evidenze empiriche e indicazioni di policy"

This paper investigates regional variation in firms formation in Italy. The assessment has been carried out utilizing panel data that concerns all Italian regions in the period 1997-2002. The results suggest that financial subsides to investment are not useful to improve entrepreneurship level, especially if connected measures are too much to be specialized (as in the period considered). Instead, the policy interventions should be selective and specialized as well as focused on the steps of enterprises evolution. According to this point of view, the birth of firms is a demonstration of a generic form of entrepreneurship, while the expertise of entrepreneurs is a demonstration connected to the enlargement and the re-organization of business. This paper shows that increasing impact on entrepreneurship level is determined by policy involving whole society too, more than just firms. This is quite true regarding a regional context characterized by hard disparities.