Social Networks and the entrepreneurial process in molecular biotechnology in Southern Italy

This chapter analyses the changes in the composition and perceived importance of the networks mobilized by southern Italian biotechnology organizations at start-up and at later stages. The reconstruction and the analysis of the networks mobilized by biotechnology entrepreneurs were done to identify the roles played by different types of actors in the acquisition of key resources for firm formation, as well as the evolution of these roles over time. The analysis shows that the creation and survival of these organizations depend heavily on the initial network established by the entrepreneurial team, and on the ability of this team to retain and expand the alliances with critical actors.