Fostering Innovation Ecosystems: Enablers and Challenges

The concept of "innovation ecosystems" is emerging as a useful lens for organizing innovation activities and was the focus of the 2017 ISPIM Innovation Forum in Toronto on which this note is based. Little is known about the underlying drivers of innovation ecosystems or the different approaches for fostering them, but this note contributes three approaches to fostering innovation ecosystems as defined by the main actor driving the ecosystem - the connector, the attractor and the facilitator. By way of example, we illustrate the inherent enablers and challenges associated with fostering innovation ecosystems. These include pertinent issues such as location, ecosystem stakeholders, mutual interests, and necessary resources. We conclude by offering some recommendations for future research.