Building regional entrepreneurial ecosystems: Lessons from Germany’s Havel Valley community-driven initiatives

This paper examines the role of Havel Valley, a volunteer-led, community-driven entrepreneurial initiative in Brandenburg, Germany, to explore how entrepreneur networks shape regional ecosystems through co-creation. Using a qualitative exploratory case study approach that combines participation in activities, interviews with members, and secondary data, the study investigates how Havel Valley offers business support services through co-creation among community entrepreneurs. Thematic analysis identifies three core activities, Independent Meet-Ups, Level Up workshops, and Popcorn Pitch—that foster peer-to-peer networking, knowledge exchange, and collaborative problem-solving, creating an inclusive culture of co-creation. The analysis further highlights four mechanisms, collective problem-solving, peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, collaborative design and entrepreneurial experimentation, and co-creation of culture and identity, that demonstrate how community entrepreneurs act simultaneously as providers and users of support. In addition, the paper proposes a practical monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework with a theory of change and outcome indicators, enabling grassroots initiatives to assess effectiveness and advocate for resources. By documenting Havel Valley’s experience, the study shows how community entrepreneurship initiatives can complement or substitute formal institutions, strengthen regional ecosystems, and provide transferable lessons for other contexts. • The study conceptualizes co-creation among community entrepreneurs as a core mechanism of entrepreneurial support in entrepreneurship ecosystems. It advances theory by showing how entrepreneurs act simultaneously as providers and users of support. • roboThe research build on the community–opportunity nexus by framing opportunity creation as a collective rather than individual process driven by co-creation among community entrepreneurs. • Amonitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework with a theory of change, outcome indicators, and research instruments is proposed. It enables community entrepreneurs driven business support actors to assess their effectiveness and build legitimacy with funders and policymakers. • The study offers transferable tools and lessons for practitioners, policymakers, and ecosystem builders. These can strengthen regional ecosystems and help align community initiatives with formal support actors.