Publications

Abstract

Norway has a long tradition of implementing funding policies to shape national innovation systems — often targeted at industries with sectoral competitive advantage, reinforcing path dependency. Existing research focuses on top-down variables and fails to capture the lived reality of company creation. This study fills that gap by providing the perspective of an entrepreneur on the impact of government funding policies throughout a company lifecycle, through active participation in five case companies across oil and gas, fintech, and renewable energy.

Findings reveal that Norwegian government funding policies are strong in the early phases of a company lifecycle, but weak during growth and scaling. Policies are furthermore more likely to benefit entrepreneurs with established networks — those with the capability to leverage additional private investment. The study aims to demystify the creation of technology companies and help academics and policymakers better understand the drivers behind innovation in their region.