Innovation and Education: Is there a ‘Nerd Effect’?

Stefan Goldbach

Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) from Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL)

Abstract: This paper investigates whether entrepreneurs with technical education are more innovative in high-tech industries than economists. The main contribution to the literature is in using the type of education as main explanatory variable for innovation. To analyze this question, the KfW/ZEW Start-Up Panel between 2005 and 2007 is used. Two independent OLS regressions are conducted for entrepreneurs with university degree and practical education. The results suggest that education matters for individuals with a university degree in high-tech industries but not for people with practical education. Having an economics degree is correlated with higher innovativeness. Therefore, for the underlying sample we do not find a ‘nerd effect’. The results depend on the underlying definition of innovation, as robustness checks show.

Date: 2012-01-11
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Published in Darmstadt Discussion Papers in Economics . 210 (2012-01-11)

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http://econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/62307/1/VfS_2012_pid_315.pdf

Related works:
Working Paper: Innovation and Education: Is there a ‘Nerd Effect’? (2012)
Working Paper: Innovation and education: Is there a "nerd effect"? (2012)
Working Paper: Innovation and Education: Is there a 'Nerd Effect'? (2012)
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