Introduction

The 11th International Joseph A. Schumpeter Society Conference was held at the University of Nice – Sophia-Antipolis, France, June 21–24, 2006. The general theme was ‘Schumpeterian Perspectives on Innovation, Competition and Growth’. Recent developments in economics have moved from the recognition of the importance of innovation (early studies of innovation, exogenous growth models) and the exploration of innovation mechanisms (more refined microeconomic and sectoral studies of innovation) to the incorporation of the results of the previous research into economic models (endogenous growth, evolutionary models). An important lesson to be drawn from all this research is that a purely macro-based analysis of growth is sufficient. The various mechanisms of innovation creation and diffusion, the importance of agent heterogeneity, market selection processes, the internal organization of the firm and organizational routines, and the obsolescence and consequent emergence of new types of capital goods are just a few examples of micro-economic phenomena that contribute decisively to macro-economic development. The conference aimed at promoting dialogue amongst researchers sharing a common interest in the work of Schumpeter. The conference hosted no less than 300 paper presentations. The following subjects provide examples of topics addressed during the conference: the growing importance of knowledge and of human capital; increasing returns and path dependence; the role of variety in economic growth; entrepreneurship, competition and industry evolution; the role of time and the importance of business history; the co-evolution of technology and institutions; the economics of agglomeration.