Shaping startups' operational capabilities: the role of innovation ecosystems orchestration

Abstract

It is essential for startups to be part of an innovation ecosystem, in which they can interact with different actors to obtain the necessary resources. However, innovation ecosystems are not all the same; they differ in the way they are orchestrated. Some ecosystems are orchestrated by a strong leader with well-defined goals, while others have several orchestrators that share the responsibility of stimulating cooperation between actors. Startups, therefore, need to develop specific ways of operating in each type of ecosystem to survive and thrive. The main objective of this research will be to understand how, if at all, the orchestration of the innovation ecosystem influences the operational capabilities that startups need to have to obtain and use resources from other actors of the ecosystem. The research will have three stages. In the first stage, a literature review will be carried out to identify the operational capabilities startups need to obtain and use the resources from the ecosystem. The second stage will use secondary data and interviews to map different ecosystems in the State of São Paulo and understand how they are orchestrated. The third stage will be a multiple case study with startups to understand the relationship between the form of orchestration and the operational capabilities of startups. The aim of this research is to create a map of the operational capabilities need startups to obtain and use resources from partners depending on the type of orchestration of the ecosystem. The present study has the potential to establish a link between the literature on innovation ecosystems and the one on the capabilities in startups, as well as refining the concept of orchestration of innovation ecosystems. The results should also guide startups to obtain resources and survive in each type of ecosystem. (AU)