Zoekresultaten

Intermediating circular startups in ecosystems: a case study of circular textiles and apparel

We investigate circular entrepreneurial ecosystems that support circular startups and innovation. We argue that circular entrepreneurial ecosystems are constellations of existing entrepreneurial ecosystems that extend across geographies and sectors, requiring ecosystem intermediaries to bridge institutional environments and provide access to actors and resources. Focusing on the emerging circular transition in the textiles and apparel industry, we gathered data from in-depth interviews, field observations, and archival documentation over a seven--year period. Our findings show that circular entrepreneurial ecosystems are purposefully intermediated at a meta level, generating nested and distributed ecosystems. To elucidate circular ecosystem intermediation, we devised a model of system level 5 intermediation that extends the conceptualization of ecologies of system intermediation across geographic and sector boundaries. Our study contributes to the literatures on circular entrepreneurship, circular ecosystems, and ecosystem intermediation as well as provides practical implications for practitioners and policy makers.

The plight of London-based startups

With Brexit looming, start-ups in the London ecosystem may ask themselves whether they are still in the right place for their business. Are they considering a move to the continent due to the ambiguous Brexit developments? This research analyzes the probability of international start-ups based in the London region relocating to another European entrepreneurial ecosystem. We use location decision theory and secondary data from the European Digital City Index to rank the most attractive eco-systems for the possible relocation of London-based start-ups. In addition, we interview London start-up founders asking how likely they are to leave and where they envision continuing their entrepreneurial endeavors. This study examines whether London will lose its top rank as the most attractive entrepreneurial ecosystem in Europe. We ask which of the competing ecosystems of Europe stands to gain from London’s possible loss. Our quantitative analyses show that Amsterdam is the most likely hub to benefit from any exodus. The qualitative analyses conveyed a mixture of concern and ambivalence as only three of the startups considered relocating their headquarters to another ecosystem. Six of the startups have either opened an office in another European ecosystem or are in the process of doing so. This allows them to watch and wait as they want to remain. The attractiveness of the London region, the social capital investments by team and partners, and the lack of finances to leave are the main reasons for not considering relocation of their headquarters currently.

Can startups solve urban problems?

Can city administrations benefit from the entrepreneurial spirit of startups, and create better urban solutions with their help? In this paper, we critically assess the interplay between startups and city administrations for city-driven innovative public procurement or “challenge-based procurement” policy, taking Amsterdam’s Startup in Residence (SiR) programme as a case study. We describe and analyse this programme from two perspectives: i) the economic development perspective, i.e. does it promote startups and does it bring them new business opportunities, and ii) a governance perspective, i.e. does it bridge the gap between startups and the city bureaucracy; does it lead to a more innovative culture within city government.

Startup perspectives

The Startup Ecosystem of the Ems-Dollart-Region

In the Ems-Dollart-region in the North of the Netherlands and North-West Germany, startups are contributing to the region’s economy. In principal, well-developed startup and entrepreneurship ecosystems are an important factor for prosperity. Such ecosystems consist of companies, regional policy institutions, universities and other private or public organisations. In a functioning entrepreneurship ecosystem, these players optimally interact with each other. In January 2019, the project “Startup Perspectives” (Bakker et al., 2019) explored the opportunities and possibilities that a cross-border startup scene would bring to the Ems-Dollart-region. Based on this research, the Startup Ems-Dollart-region project emerged. Within the Interreg V A scheme, the project is funded by Interreg/EDR and runs from June 1st 2019-June 30th 2022. The aim of the Startup Ems-Dollart-region project is to facilitate a cross-border startup ecosystem between the three provinces of Drenthe, Friesland and Groningen on the Dutch side and the WeserEms region in Germany. This will entail the formation of a (digital) network for the startup scene, tailored mentoring programs for young entrepreneurs and the development of entrepreneurship education programs with a cross-border focus. Overall, a sustainable and long-lasting entrepreneurship ecosystem shall facilitate cross-border activities among young entrepreneurs and startups.To gain an understanding of the current entrepreneurship environment in all the regions, a mapping of the relevant stakeholders took place at the beginning of the project. This report will summarize the key findings of this mapping exercise.

Entrepreneurial startup ecosystems

Understanding the success of regional entrepreneurial startup ecosystems is crucial for the advancement of local economies, job creation and growth. The current paper takes a unique theoretically focused look at common ecosystem elements that regional startup ecosystems may need to pay extra attention to in order to become as competitive as top-tier startup ecosystems. In our analysis, we compare two prominent models on elements of ecosystems: the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Elements by Stam and van de Ven (2019 and the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Diagnostic Toolkit (2013). We conclude this paper with drawing up eight propositions and an invitation for future empirical research to test these propositions in practice.