Entrepreneurship Scholars Talk Job Creation At SBA Symposium

By AJ Swartwood-Talk Radio News

Two entrepreneurship scholars called for more government stimulation and American innovation to jumpstart the struggling economy during a symposium Thursday with the Small Business Administration.

Zoltan J. Acs, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Public Policy at George Mason University, and Jeremy Wiesen, Emeritus Professor of Entrepreneurship at NYU, emphasized the fact that America has a tradition of innovation and risk taking, but that drive is being overshadowed by rising powers like China and India. 

“There’s a tradition in America to not be afraid to fail. When I look at China and India, who are they? They’re willing to go and take risks, and thats partly why they’re successful,” said Acs, who called on America to return to its innovative and creative ways.

 “We have the technology, [but] can we go out and commercialize them and get into the next market?” asked Acs, emphasizing the fact that the US is still the technological leader of the world, but needs to be able to turn that creativity into profit.

 Wiesen was more blunt in his call for increased governmental action to help accelerate economic recovery and reduce unemployment.

 “I want more government involvement and i do need a higher regard for innovation, entrepreneurship and not often talked about venture capitalism,” he said.

 In response to criticisms that America is no longer the center of global innovation Wiesen declared,  “Lets not forget that we went to the moon…developed the internet…there’s a lot to be mined here.”