Drivers for SMEs participation in entrepreneurial ecosystems: evidence from health tech ecosystem in Northern Finland

PurposeThe entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) literature is dominated by conceptual studies with insufficient theoretical foundations and empirical evidence on the micro-level. This study aims to explore the largely overlooked question of what the drivers that motivate small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to participate in an ecosystem are.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a qualitative exploratory approach. The empirical data consists of 19 semi-structured interviews with top management of SMEs in the health tech ecosystem in Finland. The data were analyzed using a thematic content analysis.FindingsThis study reveals a typology of drivers that motivate SMEs to participate in an …