Knowledge has replaced labor as the key factor for productivity growth in innovation discourse. The Knowledge Spillover Theory of Entrepreneurship (KSTE) provides the theoretical foundation to bridge the gap between knowledge and productivity growth. The way regional knowledge actually contributes to productivity growth requires a theoretical explanation because knowledge capability is an indirect and intangible input for regional productivity growth. Previous research has shown that entrepreneurship alone is insufficient to drive productivity improvements. We examine how knowledge capabilities lead to meaningful growth outcomes of new firms in a region. This study examines the determinants of productivity growth by analyzing the factors of entrepreneurship and knowledge capabilities at the regional level, especially considering the moderating effect of entrepreneurship between knowledge and regional growth; by comparing different dimensions of local knowledge capabilities; and by aggregating the contribution of knowledge capabilities and entrepreneurship to productivity growth at the regional level. The empirical analysis is performed on Italian NUTS-3 regions by utilizing an integrated data set combining patent data from the EPO PATSTAT database, and regional data from Eurostat regional statistics. This study makes two main contributions to the KSTE literature by linking knowledge, entrepreneurship, and regional growth and by providing empirical results on different aspects of regional knowledge capability. Our findings identify which types of local knowledge capabilities are more important and how related innovative activity interacts with entrepreneurial activity, elucidating the mechanisms by which knowledge affects labor productivity through entrepreneurship.

知识已经取代劳动力成为创新话语中生产力增长的关键因素。创业知识溢出理论 (KSTE) 为弥合知识与生产力增长之间的差距提供了理论基础。区域知识对生产力增长的实际贡献方式需要理论解释，因为知识能力是区域生产力增长的一种间接和无形的投入。先前的研究表明，仅靠创业精神不足以推动生产力的提高。我们研究了知识能力如何为一个地区的新公司带来有意义的增长成果。本研究通过分析区域层面的创业精神和知识能力因素来检验生产力增长的决定因素，特别是考虑到创业在知识和区域增长之间的调节作用；通过比较本地知识能力的不同维度；并通过汇总知识能力和创业精神对区域一级生产力增长的贡献。实证分析是在意大利 NUTS-3 地区进行的，利用一个综合数据集，该数据集结合了来自 EPO PATSTAT 数据库的专利数据和来自欧盟统计局地区统计数据的地区数据。本研究通过将知识、创业和区域增长联系起来，并通过提供区域知识能力不同方面的实证结果，对 KSTE 文献做出了两个主要贡献。