Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

Several of our platform members are involved in interdisciplinary research initiatives on entrepreneurial ecosystems. Here you can find all our research projects, ongoing activities, and news on this theme.

Entrepreneurial ecosystems are the combination of various economic, institutional, and social factors and actors that contribute to an environment facilitating diverse forms of entrepreneurial activity (e.g., social, productive, female entrepreneurship). These factors and actors range from social support in an entrepreneur's personal life to institutional legislations that stimulate the emergence of entrepreneurial activity within a country, region, or city. Strong entrepreneurial ecosystems, in turn, naturally attract more entrepreneurs and hence create positive cycle of innovation, equality, productivity, and value creation. 

We gain insights into the innovative and transformative power of entrepreneurs.

Through various research projects and different disciplines at Utrecht University, we aim to address societal challenges by approaching them from the perpective of entrepreneurship. By researching entrepreneurial ecosystems, we gain insights into the innovative and transformative power of entrepreneurs in addressing issieus such as structural inequality and improving sustainable development on a global level. We explore the opportunities and struggles entrepreneurs face in starting and scaling their businesses and social impact, and how their diverse backgrounds influence these processes.

Research Projects

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  Enabling Societal Missions through Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (ESMEE)

  The ESMEE project is gaining insight into regional ecosystems for sustainable entrepreneurship. The project does this through scientific analysis of the mechanisms of ecosystem development, and the relationships between sustainable entrepreneurship and societal missions. 

  Project lead: prof. Erik Stam
  Funding: NWO KIC

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  Boosting Social and Community-driven Entrepreneurship for the Transition to an Inclusive and Sustainable Society (SCENTISS)

  Social and community-driven entrepreneurs (SCEs) come up with innovative solutions for local societal problems. However, scaling up the impact of SCEs is hampered by complexity. Through joint learning processes and new tools, the project arrives at new insights to strengthen and increase impact.

  Project lead: prof. dr. Niels Bosma
  Funding: NWO KIC

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  UGlobe Research Project: Entrepreneurship-led Sustainable Development in Africa

  This project aims to increase sustainable development in Africa by finding home-grown solutions together with local entrepreneurs. The project uses a data-and-dialogue driven entrepreneurial ecosystem approach to research the causes for developmental traps as well as positive cycles of entrepreneurship. With this knowledge, the project and local entrepreneurs aim to improve their entrepreneurial ecosystem and stimulate sustainable development in Africa.

  Project lead: prof. Erik Stam

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  The Missing Entrepreneurs

  This project aims to fill in the overlooked history of women's entrepreneurship, by asking questions about the factors that explain changes in different forms of female entrepreneurship in Europe since 1900. These questions focus on the barriers women face(d) and how they overcame them throughout history. To explain the changes in female entrepreneurship, the project combines a comparative analysis of 28 European countries and an in-depth case-study of the Netherlands, the UK, and France on female business-owners and innovators since 1900.

  Project lead: Selin Dilli
  Funding: NWO Veni

Call for Collaboration

Are you currently working on a research project about entrepreneurial ecosystems and their role in addressing societal challenges? Or would you like to learn more about our research initiatives and collaborate with us? Please reach out to us by sending an email with your current research project to our platform manager.