This paper examines how entrepreneurs create,
develop and exploit their knowledge assets, in
particular, their intellectual capital (IC),
intellectual property (IP) and intellectual
property rights (IPRs), in the knowledge
economy. While the importance of knowledge
assets for competitive advantage is
acknowledged, few studies have examined the
development and exploitation of knowledge assets
in early-stage enterprises, given knowledge
asset characteristics, knowledge management
mechanisms to identify and protect relevant
assets and internal and external factors. The
research examines 16 early-stage enterprises
(less than 5 years) active in the digital
economy over a two-year period and measures
knowledge, business and external processes and
consequences as they evolve, rather than as
independent indicators measured at one point in
time. pdf
