Transnational Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: The Perspectives of Finnish and Estonian Born-Global Start-Ups

Abstract

The entrepreneurial-ecosystem concept has recently gained renewed attention among entrepre-neurship scholars, yet research in the fields of regional studies and international entrepreneur-ship has stayed notably silent on the role that incubating environments can have in driving entrepreneurial activities in developing rapidly internationalising born-global (BG) firms. In this exploratory study, we seek to further the discussion on the role that the entrepreneurial ecosystem can have in the research on international entrepreneurship affecting firm develop-ment. We assess entrepreneurial ecosystems in Finland and Estonia from the point of view of BG entrepreneurs and do so in a transnational-ecosystem context. Using a survey method and data analysis employing an analysis of variance (ANOVA), this study contributes to the litera-ture on regional studies and international entrepreneurship by examining which of the transna-tional entrepreneurial ecosystem’s structural elements are critical for start-ups during their de-velopmental stages and how these elements are perceived differently depending on the charac-teristics of BG firms. The study thus enhances understanding of the interactions of the transna-tional entrepreneurial ecosystem and its role in supporting new ventures.