Completed project (June 2012 - October 2012)
Origin of funding: Izmir Development Agency (IZKA)
Conducted by the collaboration of Izmir Development Agency and TEPAV, the project is the first entrepreneurial ecosystem analysis of Turkey with a regional focus. The project aims to identify the bottlenecks and structural problems impeding the development of entrepreneurs in Izmir Development Agency’s area of activity, as well as presenting the growth potential and strong elements of the ecosystem.
The Strategy Document presents the analysis of the local entrepreneurship ecosystem in six pillars: Identification of entrepreneurs with high-growth potential, entrepreneurship training, funding of entrepreneurship, improving the connections and sustaining these connections of entrepreneurs, creating role models from the region and policies concerning entrepreneurship.
The project aims to present concrete solutions for the main bottlenecks of the local entrepreneurship ecosystem, emphasizing the importance of locality for the development of entrepreneurship in a country. The Strategy Document will be a contribution to the 2014-2023 Regional Plan of Izmir Development Agency. Related perspective obtained from a series of international entrepreneurship programs where TEPAV is either executive or partner is represented in the study:
- Global Entrepreneurship Program (GEP) which aims to improve relations of entrepreneurship ecosystems in developing markets with ecosystems in USA in partnership with US Department of State since June 2011,
- Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program (MIT) conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
- AllWorld Turkey Fast Growth 25 project conducted in partnership with Harvard University.
Within the scope of the project, TEPAV has provided the following services;
- Identification and mapping of main stakeholders of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem,
- Providing and reporting an analysis of the current entrepreneurial ecosystem conditions,
- Organization of focus group meetings, provision of participation by the main stakeholders,
- One-on-one interviews with key stakeholders active in developing solutions to the problems of the local ecosystem,
- Preparation of a final report including an in-depth analysis of the six fundamental pillars of local entrepreneurial ecosystem, strategic priorities, policy recommendations and case studies,
- Dissemination activities in the region, presenting the results of the final report.