Entry, demand and survival in the semiconductor industry

The performance of new companies coming from the demand side of the semiconductor
industry is examined and compared with the performance of entrants
coming from the semiconductor industry itself and with other types of entrants. By
using a dataset of more than 1000 start-ups founded between 1997 and 2007
around the world, the article shows that start-ups with a background in application
sectors survive longer than spin-offs from the semiconductor industry itself or
than inexperienced firms founded by people previously active in university or other
industries. These results point strongly to the major role of demand not just as a
source of innovations, but also as a major driver of entry into an industry and of
successful performance of new firms.