Business Need
In 2005, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, commissioned this study to compare and contrast entrepreneurship in the United States and the United Kingdom. After decades of deregulating and “accelerating” big business in the UK, the country was newly dedicated to stimulating entrepreneurial activity. To do so, the UK assumed the challenge of engaging the entire entrepreneurial “system” and began to implement a comprehensive campaign of new initiatives.
By almost all measures, the UK has become more entrepreneurial over the last decade, yet it needed and wanted to do better in improving productivity and remaining globally competitive. To support their national enterprise campaign, HM Treasury sought to learn from the US experience broadly with the goal of further improving their strategy and effectiveness.
Our Role
This study provided insights and recommendations based on an American perspective of steps the UK might consider as they strive to become a more enterprising nation.
Each country’s circumstance and opportunity is different. While the US experience may be informative, UK strategies and policies must be designed to match the UK’s unique history, culture, and economic circumstances. Accordingly, the study placed special emphasis on the experience and advice of individuals, particularly entrepreneurs, who are intimately familiar with enterprise conditions in both countries.
Dave Lash worked with principal author, Rob Chernow, on every aspect of the study. He was the principal researcher and writer of the innovation and network chapters and he conceived and produced the diagrams and graphics contained in the report.