Global Agenda Council on Fostering Entrepreneurship 2012-2014

Entrepreneurship is being nurtured worldwide. The roles of the public and private sectors, and the effectiveness and timeframes of different schemes are still being debated, but there is broad agreement that entrepreneurship is a good way to grow economies, spur innovation and create jobs. Some large corporations have begun to acknowledge that, like governments, their internal cultures are not promoting innovation, so they are supporting or acquiring start-ups. Consistent, sustainable entrepreneurship faces hurdles, including a lack of alignment between stakeholders on the ways to foster entrepreneurship, inconsistent or stifling regulations, scarce investment, piecemeal quick fixes with unrealistic expectations, a focus on investment rather than impact, and corporate reluctance to engage with start-ups.