David B. Audretsch is a Distinguished Professor and Ameritech Chair of Economic Development at Indiana University, where he is also serves as Director of the Institute for Development Strategies. He is an Honorary Professor of Industrial Economics and Entrepreneurship at the WHU-Otto Beisheim School of Management in Germany. In addition, he serves as a Visiting Professor at the King Saud University in Saudi Arabia, Honorary Professor at the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena in Germany, and is a Research Fellow of the Centre for Economic Policy Research in London. Audretsch’s research has focused on the links between entrepreneurship, government policy, innovation, economic development and global competitiveness. His research has been published in over 100 scholarly articles in leading academic journals. He is co-founder and co-editor of Small Business Economics. In 2008, he received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Augsburg, and in September, 2010 he received an honorary doctorate degree from Jonkoeping University.Erik E. Lehmann is a Full Professor of Management and Organization at Augsburg University, Germany and Director of the Program Global Business Management (GBM). Together with Silvio Vismara he directs the CISAlpino Institute for Comparative Studies in Europe (CCSE). He serves as an associate editor of Small Business Economics: An Entrepreneurial Journal. His research has been published in leading academic journals such as European Finance Review (Review of Finance), Research Policy, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Small Business Economics, Journal of Small Business Management, Review of Accounting and Finance and Journal of Technology Transfer. His most recent books include Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth by Oxford University Press in 2006, Technology Transfer in a Global Economy by Springer in 2013 and Corporate Governance in Small and Medium Sized Firmswith Edward Elgar in 2011.Aileen Richardson is a graduate of Indiana University with a B.A in Political Science and Economics. She is currently a graduate student at Indiana University and Augsburg University under the supervision of Professor Dr. Erik Lehmann and Dr. David Audretsch. She is also a Research Fellow at Indiana University’s Institute for Development Strategies. Silvio Vismara (PhD) is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurial Finance at the University of Bergamo, Italy. Together with Erik Lehmann, he directs the CISAlpino Institute for Comparative Studies in Europe (CCSE), a joint initiative with the University of Augsburg, in Germany. Silvio is associate editor of Small Business Economics, member oft he editorial review board of Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice and of Journal of Industrial and Business Economics. He is author of articles in journals such as Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Financial Management, Journal of Banking & Finance, Journal of Financial Markets, Corporate Governance An International Review, European Financial Management and Journal of Technology Transfer. His most recent books are Newcits – Investing in UCITS Compliant Hedge Funds and Handbook of Research on IPOs. He is scientific consultant for the Italian Stock Exchange and founder of Universoft, a spin-off from the University of Bergamo.
