How European Governance Shapes Entrepreneurial Ecosystems to Unlock SME Innovation

The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of public governance on the effectiveness of European supranational public policies in fostering innovation within innovation ecosystems (IEs), specifically through the lens of the PITCCH initiative, a European innovation project funded by Horizon 2020 under the 'Innovation in SMEs' measure. Utilizing a 10-month ethnographic field study, this research examines how public governance mechanisms provide targeted, results-oriented support to IEs, with a particular focus on innovation-driven small and medium enterprises (i-SMEs). The findings reveal that public governance plays a critical role in facilitating the interaction between i-SMEs and larger ecosystem stakeholders, thereby enhancing the innovative capacity and market value of i-SMEs.This research contributes valuable insights into how public governance strategies can be effectively deployed to stimulate economic and scientific growth within IEs, offering practical guidance for policymakers and implications for future policy development. The also contributes to academic discourse by providing empirical evidence on the nuanced roles of public governance within European supranational contexts.