In the past several years, there has been an overwhelming rush to build entrepreneurial ecosystems at all levels – and then naturally, to compare them. But is there a clear definition of what an ecosystem is?
As part of the recent Startup Ecosystem Ranking report by Compass, Dr. Thomas Funke of the German Productivity and Innovation Centre (RKW) attempts to answer the question. RKW is a member of the Global Entrepreneurship Research Network and also the host organization for Global Entrepreneurship Week in Germany.
Funke’s post, A Canvas That Describes Relationships within an Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, presents the ecosystem canvas as a description of the multitude of relationships that exist in an entrepreneurial ecosystem and how these parts work together.
An ecosystem can best be described through eleven basic building blocks that show the logic of how an ecosystem works. The eleven blocks cover the main areas of an ecosystem: Ideas & Talents, Support & Infrastructure, Startup Community, Policy and Finance, and Trends & Markets. The canvas is part of a methodology that helps you to not forget relevant success factors when working on your local ecosystem.
The methodology has four steps: In a first layer the canvas serves as a reality check that reminds the key actors of a local ecosystem to think holistically about their ecosystem, connect them to each other and prevent them from getting stuck on their own program. In a second step, it serves as a blueprint for a strategy for all actors in the network to be implemented in the ecosystem through structures, processes and systems. In a third step, it shows all community builders in a visual way both the big picture, their (important) own roles in it and the interdependencies. In a fourth step, it helps to explore new growth opportunities, assess uses of new support programs, and to communicate across the community how we could accelerate the development of the ecosystem.
The post – available on the GERN website -- also discusses the four-step methodology behind the development of the ecosystem canvas, as well as how the canvas can be used.