From Resource Flow to Impact in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Paths to Sustainability, Circularity and Digitalization

Research on entrepreneurial ecosystems reveals significant conceptual fragmentation, emphasising the need to explore resource flow, acquisition, and management to build more tenacious and adaptive structures that effectively address the challenges of digitalisation, sustainability, and circularity. This study provides an in-depth analysis of entrepreneurial ecosystems, proposing a coherent framework to navigate the diversity in concept boundaries. It uses a mixed-methods approach to review literature from 1984 to 2024, employing network and citation analysis to identify four key resource-based approaches: knowledge-sharing, innovation, and general and digital resources. This analysis outlined the primary pillars—entrepreneurial expertise, commitment, and new value creation—across micro, meso, and macro levels. The findings underscore the necessity of suitable metrics for informed decision-making, ultimately aiding the promotion of resilient ecosystems. This study significantly contributes to entrepreneurial ecosystem research by offering a comprehensive framework that integrates resource dynamics across multiple levels of analysis, bridging theoretical gaps and fostering practical applicability. Addressing the interplay of digitalisation, sustainability, and circularity provides a roadmap for future research and practical strategies that enhance resilience, innovation capacity, and sustainable development within ecosystems globally.