Title: IECER Conference – five years of entrepreneurship research: topics and trends

Authors: Jurgen Schmude, Stefan Heumann, Frank Lasch, Frederic Le Roy

Addresses: Department of Geography, University of Munich, Luisenstrabe 37, 80333 Munich, Germany. ' Department of Geography, University of Munich, Luisenstrabe 37, 80333 Munich, Germany. ' GSCM-Montpellier Business School, 2300, Avenue des Moulins, 34185 Montpellier Cedex 4, France. ' GSCM-Montpellier Business School and University of Montpellier, Espace Richter, Bat. E, Rue Vendemiaire – CS 19519, 34960 Montpellier Cedex 2, France

Abstract: Since 2003, the Interdisciplinary European Conference on Entrepreneurship Research (IECER) has become an important forum for interdisciplinary entrepreneurship research in Europe. After five editions, the founders and organisers take stock and look forward. The attendant structures, outreach, participation of disciplines, thematical focus of the research presented at the conference and recent trends are reviewed. The distinctive features are a high level of selectivity and quality (acceptance ratio, the restricted number of presentations, etc.), an increasing number of original and new research, a growing European dimension (locations outside Germany, the increasing number of countries represented at IECER) and globalisation (the number of participants from outside Europe), disciplinary openness (interdisciplinary focus, less participants from management science compared to other conferences) and a specific focus on the environment and regional issues. The main contributions of IECER to the European entrepreneurship community are its |openness| as an interdisciplinary research discussion forum, its deliberately small size (emphasising quality and interaction) and its focus on environment-related issues.

Keywords: entrepreneurship research; IECER Conference; research topics; research trends; environmental research; Europe; interdisciplinary research; regional development; environment.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2009.022804

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2009 Vol.7 No.2, pp.155 - 174

Published online: 27 Jan 2009 *

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