This paper sheds light on the role of human capital for the creation of New Technology-Based Firms (NTBFs) in a geographical area. We relate NTBF creation to the local <italic>availability of</italic> human capital (<italic>local competences</italic>) and to the local <italic>accessibility of</italic> distant competences through <italic>communication...</italic>

Increasing the number of rapid-growth new technology-based firms (NTBFs) is considered one of the key priorities of innovation policy adopted by the European Commission. Grounded in the empirical literature on the determinants of high-tech start-up growth in Europe, this paper develops a...