1. Building and Assessing Entrepreneurship Ecosystems
Dr. Peter Vogel
Chair for Entrepreneurship & Technology Commercialization
peter.vogel@epfl.ch
www.petervogel.org

2. Ecosystems
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3. Entrepreneurship Ecosystems
 Everything starts with a definition...
A dynamic, interactive community within a geographic region, composed
of varied and inter-dependent actors (e.g. entrepreneurs, institutions and
organizations) and factors (e.g. markets, regulatory framework, support
setting, entrepreneurial culture), which evolves over time and whose actors
and factors coexist and interact to promote new venture creation.
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4. Entrepreneurship Ecosystems
Sources: The Entrepreneurs‘ Ship®
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5. Factors and Actors
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6. Factors and Actors
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7. Telescoping Ecosystems
Campus
Regional
National
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8. How to Start an Ecosystem?
The formation of an ecosystem is a positive, reinforcing loop:
Importance of the
location
Area attractive to
talents
Success Stories
Innovation
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9. How to Start an Ecosystem? Swiss MedTech
 Long tradition of watchmaking, machine industry and pharma
 Expert knowledge in:
 Micro- and nanotechnology
 Precision mechanics and electro-mechanics
 Material sciences and surface treatment
 Unique combination of biotechnology and medical engineering
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10. How to Start an Ecosystem? Success Factors in CH
 Robust industry
 Good public infrastructure
 Macroeconomic balance
 Favorable rules of labor market, working time and IP protection
 Culture of Innovation
 Excellent education system
 Highly skilled workforce
 Very attractive location (#2 in world in attractiveness for talents)
 Internationally recognized research hub (EPFL, ETHZ, CERN,…)
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11. Swiss Startup Monitor
CTI
Research Labs
Start-ups
Public & Press
Cantons
Universities
Swiss Start-up
Monitor
Banks & Analysts
Foundations
Tech Parks
Investors
Tech-transfer Centers
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12. How to Start an Ecosystem? MedTech Ecosystem Mexico
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13. How to Start an Ecosystem? KAUST
King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud: “It is my desire that this new University become
one of the world's great institutions of research... The University shall have all the
resources that it needs to pursue these goals…” - 2009
10 bn USD initial endowment
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14. Global Ecosystem Project
Categorize 200k-300k
organizations
evaluate & map
ecosystems
Sources: The Entrepreneurs‘ Ship®
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15. Global Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Project
www.EntrepreneurShipEcosystems.com (coming soon)
Symbolic map
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16. Ecosystem Index
Sources: The Entrepreneurs‘ Ship®
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17. Scientific Approaches for Assessment
 Primary Data
 Map, classify and analyze supporting organizations
 Performance Measures
 Quantity of support in each of the dimensions
 Quality of the support (e.g., via external raters)
 Hard-facts (e.g., # participants, # projects funded, survival rates, jobs created etc)
 Match between the regional USP and the pattern of ecosystem dimensions
 Secondary Data
 National statistics offices
 GEM
 GEDI
 Chambers of commerce
 Companies Registrars
 World Bank Doing Business Report
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18. When Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, consider…
 Each ecosystem is unique
 USP first!
 Holistic implementation
 Multi-stakeholder approach
 Self-employment ≠ Entrepreneurship
 Bureaucracy blocks innovation  facilitate, don’t regulate!
 Coordination and supervision
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19. A Call to Action…
 Governments
 Promote the power of entrepreneurship as engine of economic growth
 Remove the stigma of failure
 Create networking opportunities
 Create alternative funding opportunities and startup-friendly taxation
 Entrepreneurs
 Share stories
 Help the next generation of entrepreneurs
 Corporations
 Sponsor incubators and accelerators
 Recognize the contributions and success of entrepreneurs
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20. Thank you for your attention.
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one
persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress
depends on the unreasonable man.” (George B. Shaw, 1856-1950)
Dr. Peter Vogel
Ecole Polytechique Fédérale de Lausanne
Switzerland
Mail peter.vogel@epfl.ch
Twitter: @pevogel
Web http://www.petervogel.org