This paper explores the geography of entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) and provide a typology of how EEs are connected trans-locally. Although the literature has mainly focused on the place specificities of EEs, there is limited research on the trans-local connections established by entrepreneurial support organizations (ESOs) that foster exogenous dynamics. Exploiting a longitudinal dataset of European startups participating in accelerator programs embedded within EEs, this study disentangles patterns of temporary relocation, and maps the centrality of EEs through both network and cluster analysis. Our results support the notion of startups being locally embedded but also emphasize the flow of knowledge and resource exchange across different EEs. Eventually, the spatial network of temporary relocations highlights a mix of EEs profiles, indicating that trans-local exchange through accelerator participation is the norm rather than the exception within EEs. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of EEs and the role of accelerators in facilitating and shaping trans-local entrepreneurial activities.
- No islands of entrepreneurship: Mapping the trans-local dimension of entrepreneurial ecosystems through networks of accelerator participation
- Andreas Kuebart - Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and SpaceErica Santini - University of TrentoValentina Forrer - University of Nottingham
- Small Business Economics, Vol.65(3), pp.1427-1442
- 0921-898X
- 1573-0913
- 65
- Springer
- 16
- (UNIBZ)86227443
991007417756901241 - WOS:001455790300001
- 2-s2.0-105001481227
- Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
- Faculty of Economics and Management
- English
- Journal article
- Kuebart A, Santini E, Forrer V