7 Ecosystem attributes: entrepreneurial
Ecosystems can be initiated by policy makers with the view of advancing the economies and welfare of certain geographic areas. These ecosystems are also referred to as entrepreneurial ecosystems.
There are various definitions of entrepreneurial ecosystems. Based on recent understandings of the concept, entrepreneurial ecosystems can be considered as:
… a community of diverse and interdependent agents operating at multiple, interconnected levels, and whose complex interactions within an entrepreneurship conducive environment support self-sustaining and adaptable processes of venture creation and growth.
Entrepreneurial ecosystems can promote entrepreneurship through the provision of infrastructure (e.g. clusters, incubators). Entrepreneurial activity can also be supported by encouraging, promoting and strengthening the formation of networks amongst entrepreneurs and other actors. These actors can be other businesses, such as suppliers, or public sector organisations which consult on things such as regulations. Moreover, networks with funders, business angels and advisers, and other institutions that offer support services, specialist knowledge and talented labour can support and promote entrepreneurial activity.
It should be noted that drone-driven ecosystems in agriculture and rural areas are primarily focused on enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of existing agricultural businesses and secondary new business formation. The drone-driven ecosystem of ICAERUS Use Case 3 (Figure 5, Section 4) is formed through publicly (both at national-French government and EU levels) funding IDELE to lead pilot research on the benefits of drones for livestock management. This is primarily aimed at supporting existing farmers with the uptake of the technology.
Other actors in this ecosystem play an important role in promoting the use of drones and related entrepreneurial activities. For instance, regulatory actors are crucial in communicating and shaping a regulatory framework conducive to the use of drones for business (these actors are represented by National Aviation Authority (NAA) and EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in Figure 5). Public authorities, such as the municipalities of Jalogny and La Chaffault-Saint-Jurson in Figure 5 are also important because they can ensure that any concerns of the public (e.g. privacy) are appeased (see Filiou et al., 2024).
The interactions among these ecosystem actors can create opportunities that can attract new entrepreneurs, such as businesses, to offer drone-related services or to manufacture purpose-built drones that can better meet the requirements of agricultural tasks. Some of these opportunities might be taken up by existing farmers as a complementary source to their income.
One step in supporting the uptake of drone technologies on the ground is the organisation of drone demonstration events. IDELE often organises ‘open farm’ events to demonstrate new technologies and to create networking opportunities among various actors interested in livestock management. Figure 9 below is taken during a drone demonstration event where stakeholders could experiment and learn more about the technology.
In the video below you can watch Adrien Lebreton, a Precision Breeding expert from IDELE, discussing how ‘open farm’ events are organised and the various stakeholders that take part in such events. Stakeholders learn about each other’s needs and preferences through such interactions. Such networking opportunities are important for the further development of drone applications in agriculture.
Transcript: Video 1
The discussion above highlights how ecosystems are based on complex interactions and networks between various actors. Entrepreneurial activity can be supported by encouraging and strengthening networks amongst entrepreneurs and other actors. The following section discusses the role of networks in entrepreneurship in greater depth.