Dynamique de constitution de l'industrie allemande de biotechnologies et diversité des modèles d'entreprise

The article demonstrates that the German biotechnology industry?s birth and growth went along with the succession of three different business models. Based on an analysis of the activity carried out by founders and managers in the beginning phase of their firm, it shows that at each phase of the industry development corresponds a specific start-up ideal-type, comprising technical-economic variables and, mainly, relational variables. The presented results illustrate the structuring role, within the environment, of financial factors as far as entrepreneurial practices are concerned. They point out that these practices are influenced not only by the nature of resources offered by the environment, but also by the access modalities to these resources.