Entrepreneurship policies: A catching-up country perspective

The shift towards the market economy system in the early 1990s in Central and Eastern European countries has resulted in an outburst of entrepreneurial activity, which was previously restricted on ideological grounds under the centrally planned regime. With respect to entrepreneurship policies over the last 25 years, Eastern European policymakers could exploit "latecomer advantages" benefitting from the conceptual base and accumulated practical experiences in mature market economies. The paper addresses key issues and problems with the use of such best practices by catching-up transition economies, including the difficulties in finding out what works and what doesn't and inconclusive lessons from past experiences. This leads to the formulation of an integrated, holistic model of entrepreneurship policy.