Hard Working Ant: An Eco-Tourism Spin-Off Creation Tale

The creation of knowledge-based firms is of central importance due to its great impact in economic development. This article explores the case of E1, an academic spin-off operating in eco-tourism in the Algarve, Portugal. The theoretical framework of the Actor-Network Theory (ANT) is used as a methodological approach to understand translation and how different actors continuously share, disseminate and adapt their languages, problems, identities and interests. The use of ANT allows focusing on the knowledge transfer process, analyzing and understanding complex objects, where and how heterogeneous associations are created. The analysis highlights the limitations and challenges that a young and qualified entrepreneur finds to transform his ideas in a viable business