Edinburgh Napier University

  In some technology-intensive sectors, high discovery costs, specialized knowledge requirements and long time frames favor research centralization around research universities. In the case of regenerative medicine, uncertainty about downstream market potential and regulatory frameworks has limited entrepreneurial activity. We use a mixed method comparative analysis of entrepreneurial ecosystems to study the role of the built environment and cultural conditioning at The University of Wisconsin-Madison and The University of Edinburgh. We combine computer-aided text analysis of facility planning documents with qualitative coding of interviews from ecosystem informants. Institutional policies and special-purpose facilities encourage efforts to translate innovation from the lab to new ventures. Yet, when uncertainty is high, cultural artifacts and preferred coping strategies are key factors in the evolution of entrepreneurial ecosystems.