How Startups Approach Internationalization - A study of the early stage of Swedish healthtech startups and the support from the Regional Science Park

Abstract: In response to a certain gap of lacking research, lacking international implications in the healthtech startups’ pre-internationalization stage, and limited insights into the science parks’ roles when it comes to the startups internationalization. This thesis is aiming to in-depth analyze the multi-elements of a science park as an intermediate support for those startups who choose to be situated at the science park. It provides a systematic view of how science parks within the regional innovation system interplay between Swedish startups with a focus on the healthtech industry during their pre-internationalization process. This thesis finding indicates that there is a positive correlation between startups’ internationalization plans with support from the science park under a RIS. The implications of the thesis findings in this particular industry and future research directions are also highlighted.