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Abstract: Despite burgeoning interest in entrepreneurial ecosystems, there is little information on metrics for studying the actors and interconnections within these systems. The increasing availability of data and metrics for characterizing entrepreneurial activity in recent years provide opportunities for analyzing EE in more holistic ways. A critical first step in advancing work on this topic, however, is to critically review the use and limitations of currently available data with a focus on the very recent ecosystems literature, as well as constituent topics such as entrepreneurial heritage and spinoffs, entrepreneurial culture, and studies of emerging ecosystems in peripheral regions. In this review, the problems and prospects of available data are discussed, particularly the spatial scales (national or subnational) at which they are available. The paper closes with a critical discussion of the data needed to move the field forward in the four ecosystem‐related topical areas and answer important questions related to the nuanced geographies of EE at the subnational level. This discussion suggests present gaps may be related to a poverty of data‐sharing efforts rather than a poverty of available data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While it is recognized that the Internet and entrepreneurial opportunity are linked, the majority of studies analyzing business use of the Internet focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). To address a need for adoption studies focused on new ventures, which differ from SMEs in terms of organizational stage and number of employees, this study analyzes survey data from entrepreneurs to understand factors that influence the adoption of multiple Internet and social media platforms, and the role of business incubation facilities in providing information technology assistance to these ventures. Regression analysis of survey data reveal that prior entrepreneurial experience was the most important factor in explaining a diverse number of Internet application and social media use. This finding likely stems from differences in cognitive frameworks between novice and experienced entrepreneurs, which impacts their ability to recognize opportunities and respond to technological change. The location of a new venture within a business incubation facility did not help in the diverse use of Internet applications. This result did vary by gender as model results highlighted that women in business incubation facilities were more likely to use a diversity of Internet applications than those not located in these facilities. These findings point to policy implications regarding the implementation of technology training programs for female entrepreneurs, and digital awareness/ training for novice entrepreneurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As we begin to understand who uses particular social media platforms, this user information represents a way forward for understanding the types of research questions for which big data might prove valuable. In this respect, the use of social media data for analyzing entrepreneurial networks represents a promising research domain. Not only does the user profile of social media users overlap substantially with the profile of entrepreneurs, but research highlights that the entrepreneurial process is a fundamentally networked activity. Given this research promise, this study analyzes digitally mediated interactions using Twitter data collected about a variety of actors engaged in entrepreneurial networks for the United States over an eighteen-month period. Analytical results reveal that the hashtags used in this analysis (#smallbiz and #entrepreneur) do capture (albeit not exhaustively) well-known actors in entrepreneurial networks, as well as important subtleties in the geography of locales engaged in these networks. The article closes with an agenda for big data research on entrepreneurship that highlights the important role of geographers in unraveling these networked geographies given the complexities of ground-truthing geographic information from big data sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Investigate the connection between broadband and new business activity. • Instrumental variables approach based on development of the Internet by the U.S. military. • Broadband availability was associated with an increase in new business activity. • Broadband was associated net creation of new businesses. • Broadband may have crowded out business activity in the manufacturing industry. Research investigating the linkages between broadband and new business activity in countries around the world produce mixed results related to important nuances in this relationship pertaining to industry characteristics, geography, and the skill level of the workforce. Given these nuances, the goal of this study is to investigate the connection between broadband availability and new business activity, building on regional and rural-focused studies within the United States. Specifically, our paper conducts a nationwide assessment of the relationship between broadband and new business activity, in the early years of broadband in the late 1990s/early 2000s when it had the most potential to disrupt industries and open up new entrepreneurial opportunities. Using an instrumental variables approach based on the development of the Internet by the U.S. military, we estimate the impact of broadband availability on total and net new business creation. Results suggest that access to broadband was associated with an increase in new business activity and net creation of new businesses. We also find evidence that access to broadband was important in the creation of businesses in knowledge- oriented industries who benefited from the rise of the Internet. At the same time, we also find broadband may have crowded out business activity in the manufacturing industry. Combined, our results suggest disruptive innovations related to broadband Internet connections are important for small business creation in many, but not all industries. Given these linkages, expanding access to broadband may help generate new business activity and business growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including issue related to entrepreneurship, relationship between tourism and housing and relationship between knowledge and innovation across the urban hierarchy.