TECHNOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE COMPETENCES FOR ENTREPRENEURS: A KEY FACTOR TO BOOST THE NUMBER OF SCIENCE-BASED STARTUPS

Abstract

This article explores how the development of technological surveillance competences in entrepreneurs can foster the increase in number of startups based on hard sciences and disruptive technologies rather than internet-based applications in Argentina. This analysis was done from an empirical perspective, using secondary sources of information and interviews with experts of the Ministry of Science and Technology of Argentina, academic directors of entrepreneurial programs and entrepreneurs. The article is structured as follows: initially, a startup's database analysis was performed based on the report of Tecnolatinas Research and venture capital databases. As a result, emerged the low percentage of science- based startups in Argentina and Latin America compared with the internet-based ones. A list of the most relevant science-based startups from Argentina was developed.

Several factors emerged as possible contributors to the situation: i) level of interaction between Academia and entrepreneurs; ii) level of Technological Surveillance training of entrepreneurs; iii) level of Technology transference from Academia to entrepreneurial ecosystems and; iv) level of interdisciplinarity inside Academia. Among all of the surveyed factors, the level of Technology Surveillance training of entrepreneurs was considered very relevant for being considered strategic. A research of the main programs and courses about entrepreneurship in Argentina was conducted, showing the absence of the technological surveillance subject in almost all of them. Finally, a set of findings are discussed and presented together with potential areas for further considerations and implementation.