Entrepreneurship and regional economic growth in Antioquia: An empirical analysis

Drawing on the concept of entrepreneurship capital, which links collective entrepreneurial action with growth, this paper aims to explore the effect that entrepreneurship has had on the economic growth of Antioquia (Colombia). We estimate a growth model using unbalanced panel data with fixed effects for the period 2001-2012. In this study, entrepreneurship is measured as the number of new businesses and the ratio of new and discontinued companies, which have a positive impact on the economic growth of Antioquia. These results motivate a discussion about the importance of public policy in creating an environment that stimulates entrepreneurship and productive expansion; this should be maintained over time under the same social and economic purposes.