The foundations of rural entrepreneurship: a systematized approach to cataloguing the elements that make up entrepreneurial ecosystems in rural areas

Rural areas, in particular, rely on entrepreneurial spirit to fuel economic progress. It is crucial to comprehend the specific factors that lead to the prosperity of entrepreneurial ecosystems in rural areas. To better understand what makes rural business communities tick and how to foster an enterprising spirit there, this study takes a novel approach. In order to make use of the academic paper metadata pertaining to entrepreneurial ecosystems that is available in the Scopus database, we use bibliometric approaches. We find a central network of research on entrepreneurial environments by analyzing citations. Using co-occurrence analysis, we can see how the most important parts of entrepreneurial ecosystems in rural areas and in the city tend to cluster together. We use a literature review to decipher the findings. Human capital, networks, entrepreneurial culture, financial systems, governance systems, infrastructure, environmental resources, and the market are all considered non-actor components, whereas actors include academics, businesses, governments, and communities. The characteristics of an entrepreneurial ecosystem in rural regions can be distinguished by their environmental resources. In studies of entrepreneurial ecosystems in general, this component may not be relevant, but in smaller locations, it indicates the distinctiveness and local economic potential. Our research sheds light on what makes rural entrepreneurial ecosystems tick, which can inform efforts by academics, practitioners, and policymakers to boost rural economies through entrepreneurship.