Recent entrepreneurship research has taken an inside-out perspective when
studying the factors that explain survival and growth of new ventures (NVs),
largely inspired by the latest trends in strategy research (e.g RBV). Although the
typical shortage in internal knowledge makes NVs susceptible to the knowledge
base of the industry in which they operate, there is limited research on how the
knowledge base of an industry affects the development of NVs. I attempt to
reconcile the dominant inside-out perspective with an outside-in perspective
which, building on the learning literature and the knowledge based view,
explores the links between the knowledge base of an industry, and the survival
and growth of NVs. I consider one particular strand of knowledge, technological
knowledge, and look at four dimensions of an industry's knowledge base:
breadth, depth, complexity and longevity. The first objective of the project is to
investigate how these four dimensions an industry's knowledge base may
differentially affect the development of NVs. Still, only focusing on these
relationships would imply taking a deterministic view on NV survival and
growth. Thus, the second objective of the project is to explore the contingent
effects of the NV's knowledge base and knowledge management processes. The
setting of the study is the computer and electronic industry and the survival and
growth of Swedish NVs in this industry from 2011-2014. The project has
theoretical and practical implications.