SEJ Special Issue Call for Papers

Special Issue of Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal

ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEMS IN EMERGING ECONOMIES

Guest Editors
Ioana Stefan, Mälardalen University
Ikenna Uzuegbunam, Howard University
Brett Anitra Gilbert, American University
Wim Vanhaverbeke, Antwerp University
Kadigia Faccin, Fundação Dom Cabral
Yanbo Wang, University of Hong Kong

SEJ Supervising Co-Editor:

David Sirmon, University of Washington

Submission Deadline: April 30, 2027

Background and Special Issue Purpose

New ventures are crucial for the employment and productivity growth of nations (Calvino et
al., 2016; Czarnitzki & Delanote, 2013; Haltiwanger et al., 2013), yet they often confront
complex challenges that threaten their survival and growth. One such challenge is represented
by innovation “Valley(s) of Death”, i.e. the gaps between ideation and commercialization, and
scaling up (Kim et al., 2018; Takata et al., 2022). To overcome such challenges and thrive, new
ventures need ecosystem support (O’Reilly et al., 2025; Stefan, 2022) and therefore
entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) are indispensable to economic growth. EEs have been
defined as “a set of actors with varying degrees of multilateral, nongeneric complementarities
that are not fully hierarchically controlled” (Jacobides, Cennamo & Gawer, 2018, p.2264). EEs
have also been conceptualized beyond levels of entrepreneurial activity and new venture
formation, from a process perspective, as “ongoing processes through which resources develop
within an ecosystem, flow between entrepreneurs and other actors, and create or attract more
resources over time, changing the overall structure of the ecosystem” (Spigel & Harisson, 2018,
p. 164).

Research on EEs has flourished in the past decades and advanced our knowledge about EE
emergence (Roundy et al., 2018), dynamics and evolution (Abootarabi et al., 2021; Cantner et
al., 2021: Thompson et al., 2018), EE orchestration, governance and brokering (Harima et al.,
2024; Juma et al., 2023; Santos et al., 2023), digital affordances (Autio et al., 2018; Bejjani et
al., 2023) and EE metrics and measures (Johnson et al., 2022; Leendertse et al., 2022).
However, this expanding literature reveals several untapped opportunities to shed more light
on EEs.

One reason for remaining gaps in knowledge about EEs is that published studies have often
focused on strong EEs in developed countries and regions, and those favoring urban
environments (Fotopoulos, 2023; Herzog et al., 2024; Keurbart, 2022; Spigel, 2022; Spigel &

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Harrison, 2018; Thompson et al., 2018; Zhang et al., 2016). As EEs are highly contextual in
nature (Fernandes & Ferreira, 2022), existing EEs research on more advanced economies,
which oftentimes have more advanced EEs, may be less relevant in emerging economic
contexts, where EEs are nascent or in early stages of development. Recent global reports on
entrepreneurial activity confirm these differences and show significant variation across
countries, with emerging economies having less developed EEs with low or average
performance. Such reports call for strengthening EEs particularly in these regions (GEM, 2025;
OECD, 2025). Emerging economies have been defined as “low-income, rapid-growth
countries using economic liberalization as their primary engine of growth” (Hoskisson et al.
2000, p. 249). Slightly similar categorizations point to developed and less developed economies
(UN, 2025), yet the definitions are not as straightforward. An earlier report (UNDP, 2013)
refers to the rise of the Global South, and thus distinctions have also been made between the
Global South and Global North.

In this Special Issue, we apply a broad perspective on emerging economies and include any
and all economies (globally) that are not regarded as advanced or developed, particularly from
Africa, Asia, South America to the Small Island Developing States, but also from other parts
of the world.

In emerging economies, challenges for new ventures are more complex because weak or
informal institutions perpetuate, and uncertainty and volatility are exceptionally high.
Moreover, the size of the middle class is generally small, which constrains the available market
size to which entrepreneurs can sell. The dynamics created by such challenges unique to
emerging economies’ settings could shape how and whether EEs develop (Fischer et al., 2018;
Kumar & Srivastava, 2020; Thomas et al. 2021; Yildirim et al., 2022) and are sustained.
Therefore, there is a need to highlight and understand the more conspicuous features of
emerging economies EEs as compared to more advanced economies (Cao & Shi, 2021).

Broadly speaking, empirical evidence on EEs in emerging economies reveals, for instance, how
the use of digital technologies supports EEs characterized by poverty and lack of resilience
(Rawhouser et al., 2023), or how different metrics for EEs in emerging economies (Guerrero
& Siegel, 2024) inform EE research on differences in less developed contexts. Prior studies
show that emerging economies are characterized by institutional-, resource- and structural
challenges for EEs in emerging economies (Cao & Shi, 2021). In the context of BRICS (Brazil,
Russia, India, China and South Africa), for instance, Manimala & Wasdani (2015) pinpoint
nine categories of areas that provide opportunities for further research in emerging economies’
context: ”(1) Underdeveloped institutions, (2) Unclear and inconsistent policies, (3) Inadequate
governance, (4) Disjointed infrastructure (5) Limited funding options (6) Inhibiting culture, (7)
Personalized networks, (8) Ill-funded and ambivalent education system, and (9) Reluctant
internationalization” (Manimala & Wasdani, 2015, p.41). Out of these nine categories, the
eighth point related to education systems is the most salient one, Manimala & Wasdani (2015)
argue. Moreover, the nine categories impact entrepreneurs in emerging economies, who need
to overcome compound challenges in their quest to start up new ventures; consequently,
entrepreneurs in emerging economies use their innovativeness primarily to overcome such
hurdles and develop mechanisms to get by (Manimala & Wasdani, 2015). Understanding how
to overcome challenges and provide effective, long-lasting solutions for them would arguably
allow entrepreneurs their innovativeness towards more important goals.

As Autio et al. (2018) describe three components of entrepreneurial ecosystems - including a

‘stand-up’ model, which provides mechanisms for identifying entrepreneurial talent, a ‘startup’

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model which supports entrepreneurial ventures, and a ‘scale-up’ model, which supports the
growth and value creation of entrepreneurial ventures, it is necessary to consider the catalysts
and deterrents for these models in emerging economies, particularly in economies where these
models are not prevalent. With many emerging economies that rely on micro and small
businesses and informal ventures, the mechanisms for supporting entrepreneurs could look
considerably different from those that support startups in more advanced economies. Moreover,
with the growth of the BRICS group seeking to gain more influence globally, understanding
how EEs operate in emerging economies can help to highlight the systemic dimensions of EEs,
not in the least with respect to the relationship between EEs and sustainable development goals
(Theodoraki et al., 2022). Recent studies also increasingly emphasize the importance of
entrepreneurial ecosystems in relation to circular economy (Klofsten et al., 2024) and
regenerative business practices (lly & Vineis, 2024; Vlasov, 2021), yet it is unclear how EEs
in emerging economies uniquely contribute to addressing global Grand Challenges.

Furthermore, from an empirical viewpoint, there are certain governmental initiatives in

emerging economies, such as Startup Chile or Startup India, which have been implemented
nearly two decades ago, making the present an opportune moment to examine such initiatives
and their impact. There is thus a need for research that:
• Balances perspectives between the Global North and Global South in EE research.
• Acknowledges different temporality issues in EE research in emerging economies.
• Applies a systems perspective to understand and explicate EEs in emerging
economies.
• Examine different levels of analysis.
• Analyzes in detail the effects of various digital technologies and of digitalization on
EEs in emerging economies.
• Considers salient issues in EEs in emerging economies to advance research on this
topic.

Therefore, we propose the following non-exhaustive themes related to future investigation of

EEs in emerging economies, but welcome authors to submit work on any research question of
interest to the topic of EEs in emerging economies.

Aims and Scope of the Special Issue

Theme 1: Balancing Global North and Global South Perspectives on EE research in

Emerging Economies
Emerging economies present unique challenges, particular formal structures and other
characteristics, which may shape EEs in emerging economies in different ways than we already
know from EEs in advanced economies. Moreover, the implications drawn from research on
EEs in advanced economies may not hold in various emerging economies’ contexts. Thus, to
balance perspectives on the Global South and Global North, some example research questions
include:
• How do EEs emerge and develop over time in emerging economies as opposed to
those in advanced economies? (empirical contexts less analyzed)
• What role does local/national culture play in shaping EEs, and how does this differ
across contexts?
• How do EEs support refugees, diasporan or returnee entrepreneurs?

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 • What is the role of local and international venture funding instruments (e.g., venture
capital, crowdfunding, diaspora remittances) in relation to EEs in emerging
economies?

Theme 2: Process Perspectives and EE Temporality in Emerging Economies

Despite rapidly growing research streams on EEs, longitudinal studies that explicate EE
emergence and development over time are still limited. This gap in research is even steeper in
emerging economic contexts. It is therefore unclear what the nascence and dynamics of EEs in
emerging economies looks like, and whether it follows the same patterns or phases as those in
EEs in advanced economies. To narrow this gap, we propose some potential research questions:
• How do lifecycles of EEs differ in emerging economies?
• What types of different temporal structures do EE stakeholders use and how does
this affect their development or performance?
• What are the historical perspectives on EEs? How do historical
events/shocks/trauma affect the emergence and characteristics of EEs?

Theme 3: A Systems Approach on EEs in Emerging Economies

EEs do not exist in isolation. They co-evolve with other ecosystems, communities and
structures, and they interact with a multitude of actors and factors. Additionally, some EEs may
be instrumental for addressing particular Grand Challenges, for developing breakthrough
technologies, or for creating social impact in vulnerable communities. Thus, a system
perspective to EEs would be beneficial. Examples of research questions include:
• How do EEs impact society (e.g., social benefits), beyond the economic benefits
brought by formalized ventures?
• What are the building blocks of sustainable/ resilient EEs?
• When, where and why is policy effective or ineffective in supporting EEs in
emerging economies?

Theme 4: Different and multi-level analysis of EEs in Emerging Economies

Understanding how, for instance, the individual level interacts with meso and macro-level
issues related to e.g., institutions, governments, international organizations, is another
cornerstone of EE research. In emerging economies, both institutional and infrastructure-
related factors, as well as micro-level cultural or behavioral aspects may differ greatly from
those in advanced economies. Therefore, example research questions are:
• How do interactions and tensions between individual, organizational and ecosystem
levels in the EE affect the EE dynamics?
• How do institutional distrust and levels of corruption in emerging economies
influence the orchestration of actors in entrepreneurial ecosystems, particularly
regarding the roles played by universities and governments?
• How do multi-level theories and empirical methods advance research in EEs?

Theme 5: Digitalization Implications of EEs in Emerging Economies

Digitalization and digital technologies may have different effects and consequences on EEs in
emerging economies as opposed to those in advanced economies. And while they may
underline challenges, given the low digital literacy and resource scarcity in some emerging
economies, they may also present novel opportunities for EEs to thrive in emerging economy
contexts. Example research questions include:
• How does digitalization shape emergent forms of ecosystems in emerging
economies?

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 • How do computer science methods (e.g., machine learning, computer vision) enable
new understanding of the mechanisms and structures of ecosystems?
• How are digital technologies and infrastructures—ranging from ubiquitous internet
to data analytics and online education— transforming the geography of
entrepreneurship and bridging divides in emerging economies?

Deadlines, Submission and Review Process

The deadline for submission is April 30, 2027. Contributors should follow the directions
contained in the SEJ manuscript submission guidelines and submit their manuscript using the
journal portal. When submitting a manuscript online, please indicate that the manuscript is for
consideration in this special issue.

All papers will be reviewed according to the standard SEJ policies. It is anticipated that the
special issue will be published in spring 2029. In order to adhere to the publication schedule of
the special issue, no extensions to the initial submission deadline are possible, and authors are
expected to work within the accelerated deadlines for revisions.

Further Information:
For questions regarding this special issue, please contact the corresponding guest editor: Ioana
Stefan ([Link]@[Link]).

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