Small industrial enterprises, entrepreneurs and innovation in Greece: the case of the microelectronic-computer industry.

Summary The entrepreneur is a key figure in economic and sociological analysis. For J. Schumpeter, the entrepreneur is the engine of economic development thanks to his capacity to innovate: the entrepreneur is the intermediary between the worker and the scientist. This reflection structures our thinking. In the particular case of the Greek society, the industrial companies employing less than 50 employees represent the quasi-totality of the companies of the country. The industrial entrepreneur thus seems to occupy an important place. The important numerical weight of small industry in Greece cannot be justified by the personality of the Greek entrepreneur. In an economic context of crisis and unemployment, the creation of a company is an act of survival. This is all the more true in a society where the entrepreneur is an unsuccessful civil servant. Innovation, however, is not excluded because it is the weapon that allows the entrepreneur to face the competition.