Does digitalization affect the contribution of entrepreneurship to economic growth?

Abstract

The paper analyses the contribution of different types of innovative entrepreneurship: new products entrepreneurship (NP), new technology development entrepreneurship (NT), high growth expectation entrepreneurship (HG), and average growth expectation entrepreneurship (AG) to economic growth through the EU regions, which differ from each other on the degree of digitization. The regions were created by the application of cluster analysis. The clustering criterion was the level of digitization measured by the Digital Economy and Society Index. Hierarchical regression models were developed with purpose to investigate the effect of different types of innovative entrepreneurship on economic growth, on panel data for the period 2010-2017. The obtained results confirm differences in contribution of the certain types of entrepreneurship to economic growth in the EU regions, as well as, the influence of digitization on the relationship between entrepreneurship and economic growth. High growth expectation entrepreneurship and new technology development entrepreneurship have greatest contribution to economic growth in the regions characterized by a higher degree of digitization. On the other side, average growth expectation entrepreneurship and new products entrepreneurship have a dominant role in economic growth in the regions with lower levels of digitization.