Challenges for the Measurement of Innovation Ecosystems and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Brazil

Abstract

Purpose: This paper aims to identify metrics and indicators of innovation ecosystems and entrepreneurial ecosystems and to discuss the limitations of these metrics in the Brazilian case. Theoretical framework: From a theoretical point of view, the paper contributes to the analysis of the differences and similarities between the concepts of innovation ecosystems and entrepreneurial ecosystems. From a methodological perspective, the paper proposes indicators and metrics and points out the limitations for measuring entrepreneurial and innovative ecosystems in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach: The study’s qualitative approach is based on a literature review, a documentary research, and data collection for the characterization of innovation ecosystems and entrepreneurial ecosystems. The paper identifies the main indicators and metrics, their data sources and the limitations of these indicators and metrics in the Brazilian case. Findings: It was observed that despite the existence of multiple data sources, the measurement of entrepreneurial ecosystems in Brazil entails constraints such as time lag of the data; voluntary filling of databases; lack of transparency at the regional level; and incomplete or skewed data. Research, Practical & Social implications: From a theoretical point of view, the paper contributes to the analysis of the differences and similarities between the concepts of innovation ecosystems and entrepreneurial ecosystems. From a methodological point of view, the study proposes indicators and metrics and points out the limitations for the measurement of entrepreneurial and innovative ecosystems in Brazil. Originality/value: When identifying limitations, the paper proposes alternatives to improve the measurement of innovation ecosystems and entrepreneurial ecosystems in the country and in its different regions. This is essential for designing and monitoring public policies to support innovation, especially those aimed to support entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Reflections on entrepreneurial ecosystems, citizen collectives and basic income

“…In the extant entrepreneurial ecosystems literature, many efforts have been directed to operationalizing the concept of entrepreneurial ecosystem, identifying, and describing its components, pointing out its relevance to guide the formulation and implementation of entrepreneurial public policies and debating the appropriate geographic level for its application Audretsch, & Belitski, 2017;Stam, & Van De Ven, 2021). There are also contributions that focus on ways to diagnose or measure an entrepreneurial ecosystem (Leendertse et al, 2021;Rovere et al, 2021;Perugini, 2022). Another prominent theme in recent literature is centered on the evolutionary dynamics of entrepreneurial ecosystems and their contribution to sustainable development in the regions in which they develop (Mack, & Mayer, 2016;Audretsch et al, 2021;Theodoraki et al, 2022).…”

“…In Brazil, there is also a growing literature on entrepreneurial ecosystems (Alves et al, 2019;Siffert, & Guimarães, 2020;Stefenom, & Thom, 2020) and IBJESB has published relevant contributions to this research theme in other issues (García et al, 2018;Rovere et al, 2021). In this issue, Dionísio et al, 2022), albeit adopting the term "national entrepreneurship system", discuss the validity of the Global Entrepreneurship Index for assessing national entrepreneurial ecosystems.…”

Identifying necessary conditions to deep-tech entrepreneurship

“…Some researchers who use the EEs lens to assess the Brazilian context stand out, such as Alves et al (2021) who based themselves on Isenberg’s framework to analyze knowledge-intensive EE configurations. Other researchers focused on studying other aspects of EEs, such as the university ecosystem (Moraes et al, 2021; Silva et al, 2021), proposing indicators (Rovere et al, 2021) and/or theoretical frameworks to measure Brazilian EEs (Gimenez, 2022).…”