Reimagining Entrepreneurial Ecosystems through Novel University-Driven Collaborative Formats

Abstract

Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (EEs) constitute complex systems with various interacting elements that are central in the process of generating innovation. While there is significant research on mature ecosystems, our understanding of the mechanisms that affect EEs is still limited when discussing early-stage EEs. In this context, universities are known to play an important role in orchestrating ecosystems. This article reimagines EEs as Activity Systems using Activity Theory and explores a university-driven cross-European EE collaborative format. The "Start For Future"ecosystem is used as a testbed to understand how the implementation of a holistic, inclusive entrepreneurial transformation model, can create a set of "congruencies"which enable ecosystem actors to collaborate and co-create despite inherent problems. Hence, this work identifies factors that facilitate the innovation process, the collaboration between ecosystem actors, and showcases the importance of universities in EEs as a trusted intermediary and a focal point for collaborative formats.