Untapped entrepreneurial potential: GEM Slovenia 2018, Executive Summary

In 2018, the biggest global research of entrepreneurship, Global Entrepreneurship Monitor – GEM, finished its 20th cycle. GEM was established in order to (1) measure the differences regarding the relationship towards entrepreneurship, activities and aspirations of individuals in as many countries as possible, (2) uncover factors that encourage or hinder entrepreneurial activities, especially related to societal values, personal attributes and the entrepreneurship ecosystem, (3) provide a platform for assessing the extent to which entrepreneurial activity influences economic growth within individual economies and (4) uncover policy measures for the purpose of enhancing entrepreneurial capacity in an economy. The research helps to better understand the attitude of the society towards entrepreneurship and individual capabilities, among which are the perception of their own abilities for entrepreneurial activities, the ability to perceive opportunities, entrepreneurial intentions and fear of failure. As GEM monitors entrepreneurial activity throughout the phases of the life cycle (nascent, new businesses and established businesses, discontinuation), according to impact (high growth, innovation, internationalization) and by type (early-stage entrepreneurship activity, employee entrepreneurship activity), the picture is much richer than the one that is based only on data gathered from ordinary statistical databases.