Promoting firms' creation and incubation: Past and present policy achievements in France and in Japan

The chapter focuses on the challenge of the creation of new firms that France and Japan are currently facing. Considering the fact that the creation or incubation of new firms cannot be isolated from the reasons their support was put on the agenda, nor from the other elements of industrial or innovation policies, the chapter takes a historical approach to comparing past and present achievements. Using statistical data as well as empirical surveys of incubators, the research indicates that greater support increased the number of new firms in both countries, although the number was still below the desired level. It also suggests that the problems faced by both countries might require a more balanced policy combination in several areas, including support for start-ups and pre-existing SMEs to promote survival and growth