Older Entrepreneurs May Be Better at Turning Innovation into Local Growth

A study of more than 13,000 Italian startups finds that founder experience -not youth or location -may be the key to converting innovation into revenue growth and job creation.Entrepreneurship is often positioned as a powerful engine of local economic development, especially in rural areas seeking to attract talent, create jobs, and stimulate innovation.Many startup policies implicitly rest on two assumptions: that innovation-driven startups fuel local growth; and that younger entrepreneurs are the founders most likely to deliver that impact.1. Location mattered less than expected.