Thusrday, 26 October 2023 at 16:00-17:30 MS Teams

A presentation by Bruno Brandão Fischer (Associate Professor, School of Applied Sciences, University of Campinas, Brazil).

The literature on Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (EE) originated from assessments of highly successful cases. While this has produced useful insights, it has also generated a sense of isomorphism, seldomly reflecting the entrepreneurial dynamics taking place in a variety of contexts. In this article we critically discuss a selection of underlying issues associated with the configurations of entrepreneurial ecosystems, as well as influential dimensions that are attached to their respective structures, components, and interaction dynamics. Here, we argue that ‘generic’ configurations of EE can only offer a limited (if not inaccurate) comprehension of EE dynamics. We propose that ecosystems configurations emerge as outcomes of an interplay involving two layers of determinants. First, a group of ‘foreground’ drivers, namely: Historical Trajectory, Sectoral Orientation, and Spatiality. Second, two ‘background’ conditions with pervasive impacts: Entrepreneurial Agency and Digitalization Trends. As we demonstrate, these dimensions conform a background that deeply affects the configurations of EE in terms of agents, institutions, and interaction dynamics. From this debate, we outline a meta-configurational framework to guide future research on this topic of growing relevance.

Bruno Brandão Fischer (PhD in Economics and Innovation Management, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain) is currently an Associate Professor at the School of Applied Sciences, University of Campinas. Bruno Fischer acts as Associate Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Administration. His research is oriented to the theme of entrepreneurial ecosystems. He is an Associate Researcher of the Insyspo Project, an initiative based at Unicamp in collaboration with George Washington University, Utrecht University, Leiden University. He was coordinator of the Laboratory of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and International Trade (LEICI) and the Center for Business Research at the University of Campinas (2017-2021). Associate Editor of the Brazilian Administration Review (BAR) in the area of Science, Technology Innovation Management. Member of the Editorial Review Board of Small Business Economics magazine. He was guest editor of special issues in journals such as Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Technovation, Small Business Economics, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management and Journal of Business Research. He is a researcher at the Catchain Project (Catching-up Along the Global Value Chain), funded by the Marie Curie actions of the European Commission (grant agreement No. 778398) and involving institutions from the Americas, Europe, Africa and

The seminar is in English. Further information: pia.riips@taltech.ee.