Vannevar Bush: A Public Sector Entrepreneur

Abstract

In this monograph, I define public sector entrepreneurship in terms of innovative public policy initiatives that generate greater economic prosperity by transforming a status quo economic environment into one that is more conducive to economic units engaging in creative activities in the face of uncertainty. Using that definition, I propose that Vannevar Bush is a quintessential example of a public sector entrepreneur. I then propose that the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 is an innovative public policy initiative that has ingredients of Bush’s philosophy about the role of government in technological advancement. Using Bush and the Bayh-Dole Act as examples of public sector entrepreneurship, I conclude the monograph with framework that might serve as a unifying taxonomy for interpreting future research on public sector entrepreneurship. Albert N. Link (2022), “Vannevar Bush: A Public Sector Entrepreneur”, Foundations and Trends® in Entrepreneurship: Vol. 18, No. 1, pp 1–74. DOI: 10.1561/0300000087. ©2022 A. N. Link Full text available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1561/0300000087