Too much support? Entrepreneurial ecosystems and firm growth

Although the concept of an entrepreneurial ecosystem has become appealing to both academics and policy makers, few studies have measured the impact of entrepreneurial ecosystems on firm growth. Using quantitative data, this paper analyzes a local innovation ecosystem to identify the contribution of a regional ecosystem to firm growth. The results indicate that firms that intensively rely on ecosystem intermediary organizations tend to experience less growth. In other words, when it comes to supporting firm growth, 'the more the merrier' does not apply.