Although the entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) has become a crucial concept for territorial economic development, digital transformation tends to reshape the architecture of EEs and reduce spatial dependencies. This constant evolution results in the regular emergence of new actors in the digital spectrum, and fundamentally modifies the design of EEs and their boundaries, which are no longer limited to a predefined set of actors concentrated on a given territory, but to a multi-dimensional approach: 1) entrepreneurial actors, 2) entrepreneurial organizations, and 3) institutions, which can coordinate formally and informally to help generate and improve entrepreneurial activity within a specific local environment.
Consequently, the concept of the digital entrepreneurial ecosystem (DEE), visualized as a sub-ecosystem within the territorial entrepreneurial ecosystem, has considerably expanded with the involvement of multiple diverse and interdependent actors who contribute to supporting the digital transformation of companies, at national and international levels. This concept provides a theoretical framework to help conceptualize digital entrepreneurship based on main structural components, notably infrastructure, governance, digital market and digital citizenship, or by analyzing the role of opportunities offered by digital technology.
However, companies and particularly SMEs seem to struggle today to rely on an ecosystem adapted and favorable to digital transformation. This ecosystem could become a catalyst for the competitiveness and resilience of SMEs seeking digital transformation. Management literature reports numerous ecosystems that clearly revolve around SMEs without clearly identifying their role(s): entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs); innovation and platform ecosystems; digital ecosystems. These ecosystems are complementary and interdependent, capable of enriching each other mutually.
However, the level of analysis of existing research on digital transformation pays very little attention to the ecosystems in which SMEs develop and evolve. Interactions within these ecosystems are both physical and digital and can evolve over time, influenced by the development of shared meanings and communities of practice. Additionally, co-creation dynamics can emerge between a project leader and a community gathered around entrepreneurial initiatives in third spaces within the digital context. However, their role and boundaries between them in terms of geographic scope and functioning currently seem impermeable. For this reason, it is essential to understand the interactions between ecosystems to grasp ecosystem performance and effectiveness.
To address the relationship between EEs and digital transformation, this special issue highlights two main possible axes: i) the evolution of EEs through digital transformation, and ii) the evolution of EEs for supporting SME digital transformation. The first axis raises questions about the challenges of digitizing traditional EEs and the challenges of digital entrepreneurial ecosystems (DEEs). The second axis reflects questions about the support needs of SMEs and entrepreneurs in navigating the complex digital landscape, accessing critical resources, and integrating new technologies into their operations and strategies to fully embrace the cultural, organizational and environmental changes necessary for complete digital transition, far beyond simple technology adoption.
These multi-level readings and sub-ecosystems lead to questioning the role played by the digital entrepreneurial ecosystem (from the perspective of companies) whether regional, sectoral or technological, in supporting digital transformation (from the perspective of entrepreneurial support actors). To define entrepreneurial ecosystems that support digital transformation, it is important to better understand their role and impact on the digital maturity of companies. Understanding the impacts of digital transformation on the structuring and performance of EEs is crucial, particularly regarding digital challenges, collaboration mechanisms in EEs, the role of platforms, resource allocation and institutional arrangements, digital challenges in terms of inclusivity, and understanding the impact of EEs on the digital maturity of companies.