by Patrick A. van der Duin & Dap Hartmann
ABSTRACT
We present an explorative study of 43 techno-starters in the area of Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. The leading question is how these young technology-based companies look to the future, and which factors determine the use and scope of explicit futures research methods and the length of their time horizon. Six hypotheses are tested against the data collected from interviews. There are no statistically significant conclusions, but some trends can be identified. Externally financed techno-starters appear to be more inclined to look at the future, and this tendency is stronger when more money is involved.