From place to space: the emergence and evolution of sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems in smart cities

Drawing on the concepts of place and space in sociology, this research examines the process entrepreneurs adopt, in association with place-based enterprises, to address urban challenges and build sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems in smart cities. We note that the process unfolds through problem identification at the entrepreneurial level, followed by resource mobilization at the place-based enterprise level, and culminating in scaling solutions across space at the ecosystem level. Based on an analysis of rich field data, we develop a process model of the emergence and evolution of a sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem. In this process model, the place-based enterprise acts as a lynchpin between urban stakeholders and entrepreneurs, helping generate sustainable smart city solutions. The journey from place to space sets in motion a process of “sequential specificity,” ranging from high to low, across problems, resources, and solutions. This process leads the sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem to evolve, based on scaling and adopting spatially flexible solutions. Our study has important implications for both entrepreneurs and policymakers.