Startup Ecosystems: Conceptual Foundations, Key Elements, and Knowledge Gaps in the East Asian Context

Ying Cheng (), Adam Cross (), Martin Hemmert (), Agata Kapturkiewicz (), Masahiro Kotosaka () and Franz Waldenberger ()
Additional contact information
Ying Cheng: Chongqing University, School of Economics and Business Administration
Adam Cross: Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
Martin Hemmert: Korea University, School of Business
Agata Kapturkiewicz: Sophia University
Masahiro Kotosaka: Keio University, Faculty of Policy Management
Franz Waldenberger: German Institute for Japanese Studies

Chapter 3 in Unleashing Innovation the East Asian Way, 2026, pp 23-42 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This chapter examines the concept of startup ecosystems as dynamic engines of innovation and economic growth by tracing the intellectual origins, conceptual evolution, and inherent limitations of the startup ecosystem approach. While the ecosystem metaphor has gained traction as a framework to analyse entrepreneurial environments, this chapter critiques its Western-centric foundations, which often overlook the distinctly different cultural, institutional, and historical forces shaping new venture formation in East Asia. We disentangle the ecosystem approach from related concepts like industrial districts, business clusters, and innovation systems, emphasising its focus on interactions between actors (entrepreneurs, investors, universities, and other supporters) and elements (such as cultural norms, local and international networks, material infrastructure, and government policy). We identify gaps in current conceptualisations and call for frameworks that bring to the fore contextual relevance. Ultimately, we argue that understanding East Asia’s ecosystems requires the reconciliation of global entrepreneurial trends with localised realities, offering foundational insights that underpin subsequent chapters on the entrepreneurial landscapes of Japan, Korea, and China.

Keywords: Startup ecosystems; East Asia; Innovation; Cultural context; Government policy; Internationalisation; Comparative entrepreneurship (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-981-95-6513-9_3

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/9789819565139

DOI: 10.1007/978-981-95-6513-9_3

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Springer Books from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().