6. Ecosystems

Question 1

Definition of digital/innovation ecosystem:

Answer 1

=Complex, dynamic environments in which innovators operate. These environments have interacting organizations, individuals, elements and relationships which can either enable or impede innovation.

Question 2

6 domains of the entrepreneurship ecosystem:

the snap-shot analysis approach

Answer 2

1. Policy - be aware of the policies that affect your business.
2. Finance - attract funding or crowdfund from your customers.
3. Culture - Find communities with entrepreneurial spirits.
4. Supports - use the support organizations around you and find the right people within them.
5. Human capital - talent in the labor market and from educational institutions.
6. Markets - early customers and networks. Be aware of competitors.

Question 3

Can you succeed without an ecosystem?

Answer 3

Yes, there are several examples of more-or-less random successes, that in turn helps create and ecosystem in the long run, because success breeds success –> the more success an ecosystem has, the more it will attract

Question 4

Different ways of seeing ecosystem on maps: (3)

Answer 4

1. Look at patent data over a map - where are they clustered?
2. Looking at funding agencies on a map - where can you get access to funding easiest?
3. Global rankings of ecosystems.

Question 5

The (only) model for ecosystems for continuous comparisons:

What are the five building blocks?

Answer 5

iEcosystem developed by MIT Lab (a systematic approach to ensure dynamic evaluation). The building blocks are:

1. Foundational institutions.
2. I-CAP (innovation capacity)
3. E-CAP (entrepreneurship capacity)
4. Comparative advantage
5. Impact.

Question 6

How must measurements be to be able to compare? (4)

Answer 6

• Simple measures
• Capture distinctive elements with as little duplication as possible.
• Replicable
• Widely available (cannot just use metrics used in EU)

Question 7

What is I-CAP (innovation capacity)?

Answer 7

The capacity of a place/region to develop new ideas and to take them from inception to impact. –> the translation from development and research into solutions that are useful products/techs/services etc.

–> requires: human capital, funding, infrastructure, demand and incentives.

Question 8

What do we mean by infrastructure in the I-CAP def?

Answer 8

Infrastructure that supports I-cap, such as highly specialized tech, sophisticated production processes and information access.

Question 9

What are examples of foundational insitutions?

Answer 9

• Ease of doing business
• Taxes
• Resolving insolvency
• Enforcing contracts
• Property rights
• Government integrity
• Labor freedom
• Trade freedom
• Corruption
  etc. ..