The rule of New Technology Based Firms (NTBFs) is increasing proportionally to the globalisation of the market. The industrialized countries consider more and more this kind of firms a tool of competitiveness. The Science Park of Sophia Antipolis is an excellent example to identify the policy to support the start-up and the growth of these firms.

This research has been carried out through 19 direct interviews to a representative sample of firms, in the Sophia Antipolis Area, and shows the profile of these NTBFs and their entrepreneurs.

I acknowledge the support of IDEFI/Latapses–CNRS, Sophia Antipolis.
I would like to thank Jean Luc Gaffard (IDEFI director), Michel Rainelli (Latapses director), Christian Longhi (Latapses researcher), François De Bandt (IDEFI general secretary) and Martine Naulet (IDEFI librarian).
I’m also grateful to Secondo Rolfo, Ceris-CNR director, for his precious comments and suggestions.