Week 7: Ecosystems and networks
Introduction
Welcome to Week 7 of Developing business ideas for drone technologies. This week focuses on business, innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems. Such ecosystems are embedded in a vast array of networks which in turn are formed through a complex web of both informal and formal collaborations.
This week focuses on examples from ICAERUS Use Case 3 on the use of drones for livestock management in France and maps the networks that found this early-stage ecosystem. You will explore different types of such ecosystems and create links with drone innovation and entrepreneurship. Finally, you will go deeper in understanding the role of networks for business and entrepreneurship and you will develop relevant skills. Figure 1 shows the learning cycle for Week 7.
By the end of Week 7, you should be able to:
- understand the meaning of ecosystems for business, innovation and entrepreneurship and how to identify them in practice
- explore in depth the meaning of entrepreneurial ecosystems in the context of ICAERUS and the case of livestock monitoring in France
- understand the role of networks in business and entrepreneurship
- develop networking skills for entrepreneurship.