Fostering the innovation ecosystem of startups and scaleups
Why you should invest in your startup and scaleup ecosystem
Innovation never takes place in isolation but is rather the result of the social, political, economic and cultural characteristics. The latter defines the ecosystem where startups and (potential) scaleups thrive. Thanks to a proven research approach based on years of experience with research into startups and scaleups, we translate our academic knowledge into practical insights. In this way, we advise a wide range of organisations on how to improve their innovation ecosystem.
A well-functioning innovation ecosystem provides startups and scaleups the necessary access to talent, capital and market, which results in economic impact, as shown in the picture below.
Would you like to know more about our research into startup and scaleup ecosystems?
Our methodology to analyse startup and scaleup ecosystems and their innovation components follows three simple steps:
Startup & scaleup monitor
Monitor startups and (potential) scaleups in your innovation ecosystem
Our monitor offers an overview of the local SMEs in a specific ecosystem, with special attention to startups, i.e. young scalable companies, and (potential) scaleups, i.e. high-growth companies. We identify their most important characteristics and summarise them in a personalised report highlighting what makes your innovation ecosystem unique.
Ecosystem scan
Scan your ecosystem’s success factors and access to talent, capital and market
We start with a mapping of the different stakeholders in your innovation ecosystem, in general or specifically to one or more sectors. Then, we perform a quantitative analysis to measure its performance. We focus on the three main factors affecting the growth and development of startups and scaleups: access to talent, capital and (international) market.
Ecosystem analysis
Understand the functioning of your innovation ecosystem and learn from (best) practitces
This thorough analysis builds upon the results of the ecosystem scan. In addition, it offers deep, qualitative insights into the functioning of an innovation ecosystem and how that supports or hinders entrepreneurial activities. We identify opportunities and bottlenecks of a startup and scaleup ecosystem and we complement it with the study of relevant (best) practices.
Examples of our research insights in practice
Here is an example of a monitor we conducted for MRDH, specifically for the startups and scaleups within the innovation ecosystem of the Metropolitan Region Rotterdam The Hague;
We helped ENZuid map out the fast-growing companies in the south of the Netherlands and here you can find the Scaleup Dashboard for ENZuid that emerged from our analysis;
Here you can find a selection of our most recent research publications.
Entrepreneurial and Innovation Ecosystem in the Zuid-Holland Maritime Cluster | A Study to Strengthen Regional Cooperation
Roeland SluiskesEconomic advisor, Municipality of Zeist
"I use the research insights to make new contacts within the region. This resulted in pleasant and productive company visits, mostly with startups and scaleups I did not know before. I use this research to sharpen our economic policy and link companies/networks."
How we help you make impact
As the leading centre for entrepreneurship in Europe, our mission is foster entrepreneurship, economic growth and innovation. We do this our partners within their organisations and in their startup and scaleup ecosystems. All our research activities and training programmes are designed to integrate these components in a wide range of industries and with a pragmatic approach. Check here for our publications and read below for a selection of our partners:
Would you like to know more?
Would you like to know more or are you interested in a research into the startups and scaleups in your innovation ecosystem?
