Entrepreneurship within the European Union’s Industrial Policy in Academic Debates

This study addresses a critical gap in understanding the evolving scholarly discourse on entrepreneurship within the European Union’s industrial policy framework. While prior researches have examined isolated aspects of innovation or regional development, few studies have systematically mapped the intellectual landscape, thematic priorities, and collaborative networks shaping this important field. This study employs a mixed-methods bibliometric approach, leveraging Scopus data (1990–2024) and tools, i.e., RStudio, VOSviewer, and Python, to analyze 2,150 publications from 937 journals and 4,943 authors. This work offers the novelty of an evaluation of both quantitative trends (e.g., productivity, citation patterns) and qualitative thematic evolution, investigating entrepreneurship within the EU industrial policy research. Key findings reveal an 11.88% annual growth in publications since 1990, signaling heightened academic engagement with sustainability transitions (e.g., circular economy, Industry 4.0), regional innovation strategies, and policy frameworks. Leading journals, e.g., Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, dominates the discourse, while influential works done by Ghisellini et al. (2016) and Nelson and Winter (1985). Collaborative networks highlight interdisciplinary and cross-border partnerships, particularly in addressing climate resilience and digital transformation. This study may contribute to a roadmap for policymakers to align support structures with emerging research priorities, e.g., green entrepreneurship and SME digitalization, while underscoring the need for inclusive frameworks to integrate non-Anglophone and regional scholarship.