Network-based principles of entrepreneurial ecosystems: a case study of a start-up network

Entrepreneurial ecosystems are wealthy environments in which entrepreneurs, firms, and governments can operate frictionless, contributing to innovation and economic growth. The investigation of the structure of such systems is an open issue. We provide insights on this aspect through the formulation of seven network-based principles associating specific network metrics to distinct structural features of entrepreneurial ecosystems. In this way, we aim to support the measurement of the structural characteristics of an entrepreneurial ecosystem and the design of policy interventions in case of unmet properties. The proposed methodology is applied to an original network built on the relationships occurring on Twitter among 612 noteworthy start-ups from seven different European countries. This is a novel way to conceptualize entrepreneurial ecosystems considering online interactions. Thus, this work represents a first attempt to analyze the structure of entrepreneurial ecosystems considering their network architecture to guide policy-making decisions. Our results suggest a partial ecosystem-like nature of the analyzed network, providing evidence about possible policy recommendations.