Fachartikel
Report for Chambers of Commerce and Start-up Centres

Report for Chambers of Commerce and Start-up Centres

Blends of formal and informal networks characterize local entrepreneurial eco-systems (Maroufkhani & Wagner, 2017). Formal networks are made up of interactions of all local, state, and federal agencies and industry partners, as well as administrational units commercial registers, banks, accountants, lawyers and chambers of commerce, or the ‘small business administration’. Informal networks consist of family, friends and business contacts. In this report, the focus is on part of the formal network support for new entrepreneurs, namely start- up centres and chambers of commerce. This study is a result of the strategic partnership Marketing Communication Innovativeness of European Entrepreneurs (MARCIEE), which is a three-year project funded by the European Union (grant no. 2014-1-DE01-KA203-00624). MARCIEE is part of the Erasmus+ activities of the EU and involves partners from eight countries: Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania and the Netherlands. The results of this study are rooted in triangular-perspective interviews. We provide a comprehensive overview of the needs and wishes of entrepreneurs and contrast them with the self-assessment of both start-up centres and chambers of commerce. Complementing the interview data, we assess a contemporary range of services and support in desk research for each country.