Comprehensive and multifaceted perspectives on sustainability, urban studies, and entrepreneurship

Abstract

While practitioners discuss the phenomena of sustainability, cities, and entrepreneurship, such as living labs and smart cities, alongside sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems at length, researchers tend to reduce the complexity by considering these phenomena from the perspective of one discipline or by merging two research disciplines at best. This study intends to provide guidance on what is required for the emergence of a transdisciplinary research stream of sustainability, urban studies, and entrepreneurship. By applying design science involving practitioners and scientific experts, we designed a relevant and rigorous future research agenda that considered phenomena, research design, and theoretical foundations. Starting from the basis that sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems are promising, the agenda integrates the knowledge base and establishes a multifaceted and comprehensive perspective on sustainable entrepreneurship in cities. Furthermore, implementing the research agenda has strong practical implications for realizing the common vision of a transition that ensures the quality of life on Earth.