NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR
MANUFACTURING MANAGEMENT
Alistair Nolan
Events
He is well equipped to comment on current trends in:
- business incubation and the contribution of incubators to economic development
- the effectiveness of government economic development initiatives
- enterprise clusters and business networks and their impact on economic development
- fostering business creation (from micro-credit to venture capital)
Mr Nolan is the Program Manager for the Local Economic and Employment Development Program (LEED) with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The Local Economic and Employment Development Programme (LEED) was created in 1982 on the initiative of France and Italy. The initial objective of the new programme was to stimulate employment at the local level through the implementation of active employment policies favouring self-employment and enterprise creation. LEED currently attracts funding from 24 Member countries. The LEED Programme structures its activities around 6 major axes: decentralisation of employment policies, local partnerships and governance entrepreneurship, self-employment and job creation social cohesion at the local level globalisation and local authorities evaluation and exchange outreach programme with non-member countries.
The LEED programme has just produced a comprehensive and wide-ranging study on the subject. Alistair will be presenting these finding to policymakers and business groups while in Australia. He will also address the broader topics of business incubators and enterprise clusters and business networks.
Mr Alistair Nolan is well known to government organisations and business associations involved in fostering enterprise clusters and business networks. The LEED programme is held in high regard and Alistair's wealth of experience with the program has resulted in a high demand for his time and expertise during his visit to Australia.
Smartlink is a member of the LEED Partners Club. The LEED Partners Club has a membership of about 100 organisations from 25 different countries. These include Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Executive, Welsh Development Agency, New South Wales Department of State and Regional Development, the Capital Cities project in Adelaide, the Corporation for Enterprise Development and International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in the US.
Mr Alistair Nolan has recently published a book entitled: Entrepreneurship and Local Economic Development - Programme and Policy Recommendations:
A synopsis of the book follows:
"Increasing rates of enterprise creation is an almost universal concern for local authorities and for central governments wishing to combat localised economic distress. However, despite the extent of policy interest, few studies have systematically examined the relationship between the birth of new firms and local economic development.
This publication examines the principal routes through which new firm creation can impact on local economies. Empirical evidence on the relationship between entrepreneurship and local economic performance is reviewed. It is shown that while entrepreneurship is a critical component of local economic development, the promotion of entrepreneurship does not constitute a developmental panacea. A number of potential limits to entrepreneurship-oriented strategies - and how these limits may be countered - are considered at length.
The book sets out detailed policy recommendations for national and local levels of government. These recommendations cover three thematic areas: strategy, finance and programme design. Strategy issues - such as whether to prioritise support to existing firms or encourage the birth of new enterprises - are considered in detail. What type of support programmes work, and which do not, is examined across the full spectrum of local and regional initiatives to support entrepreneurship: from business incubators to credit guarantee schemes; from business advisory services to business angel networks and entrepreneurship education; and from micro-credit to management training. It is hoped that these guidelines will assist local and central governments in designing and implementing cost-effective entrepreneurship strategies and programmes. This publication also describes the types of research that should be undertaken in order to improve understanding of the key policy issues.
The book has had a very positive reception in policy, academic and practitioner circles, and was recently described by the US National Commission on Entrepreneurship as "likely the most detailed and comprehensive look at various strategies and policies designed to support high-growth entrepreneurial businesses at the local level."