The Geography of Rapid-growth Firms. Exploring the Role and Location of Entrepreneurial Ventures

This paper reports from an ongoing study focused on Norwegian rapid-growth firms. It starts with a general discussion of the dynamics of firm growth and particularly on rapid-growth as an entrepreneurial achievement and its importance for innovative activities. The empirical data is based on accounting data for all Norwegian limited liability companies (2000 – 2006). A subgroup of rapid-growth firms is identified. The spatial distribution and economic performance of this subgroup of firms are compared with the total population of limited liability companies. The study identifies their territorial and industrial sector distribution, and analyzes their economic performance and growth patterns. The regional distribution of knowledge intensive types of growth firms is particularly emphasized. The concluding section discusses the empirical results in light of the location and cluster literature.