THE USE OF INTERACTION MECHANISMS IN BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ACTORS OF AN ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM

The concept of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems has been widely discussed in recent years and has become the subject of a growing number of studies since 2017, receiving significant attention from researchers and becoming a key topic on the research agenda of scholars worldwide. However, there are still nuances to be explored within these ecosystems. One of them refers to the relationships established between the actors that compose them and, consequently, the interfaces or communication channels used to establish these connections. These relationships, known as interaction mechanisms, are the focus of this research, which aims to identify the interaction mechanisms used in the relationships between startups and universities within the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Sergipe. Methodologically, this study has a qualitative nature, adopting an exploratory and descriptive approach to understand the relationships in Sergipe’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem. It employs the basic qualitative study strategy (Merriam, 1998) and content analysis (Bardin, 2016) to interpret the data. A total of 22 interviews were conducted -15 with startup entrepreneurs and 7 with university professionals - ensuring a strategic and in-depth perspective on the subject. The findings indicate that WhatsApp and participation in events are the main interaction mechanisms in this ecosystem, playing a crucial role in building and maintaining relationships within the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem.