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Entrepreneurial ecosystems and the persistence of regional high-growth firm shares: A reply to van Dijk, Leendertse, Stam, and van Rijnsoever (2025)

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  • Coad, Alex
  • Srhoj, Stjepan

Abstract

van Dijk et al. (2025) attempt to replicate our previous study. Major problems are discussed. First, their replication (in Study 1) uses three datasets, but none of the three are suitable for the task. Second, there is confusion about the time period covered by the data, and confusion about whether growth is measured over three years or two years. Third, ideally, the replication should use an indicator that has the same denominator, and also the same numerator. Fourth, the proposed indicator of persistence in Study 2 seems incapable of distinguishing between cases of positive persistence and negative persistence, which is of course a fundamental requirement of a persistence indicator. To summarize, we refer the reader instead to our own recently-published replication on 20 EU countries, that finds different results.

Suggested Citation

  • Coad, Alex & Srhoj, Stjepan, 2025. "Entrepreneurial ecosystems and the persistence of regional high-growth firm shares: A reply to van Dijk, Leendertse, Stam, and van Rijnsoever (2025)," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(10).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:54:y:2025:i:10:s0048733325001544
    DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2025.105325
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. van Dijk, Jasper & Leendertse, Jip & Stam, Erik & van Rijnsoever, Frank, 2025. "The entrepreneurial ecosystem clock keeps on ticking – A replication and extension of Coad and Srhoj (2023)," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(2).
    2. Erik Stam, 2015. "Entrepreneurial Ecosystems and Regional Policy: A Sympathetic Critique," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(9), pages 1759-1769, September.
    3. Ben Spigel, 2017. "The Relational Organization of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 41(1), pages 49-72, January.
    4. Michael Fritsch, 2024. "Struggling with Entrepreneurial Ecosystems," Jena Economics Research Papers 2024-007, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    5. Klaus Friesenbichler & Werner Hölzl, 2020. "High-growth firm shares in Austrian regions: the role of economic structures," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(11), pages 1585-1595, November.
    6. Coad, Alex & Srhoj, Stjepan, 2023. "Entrepreneurial ecosystems and regional persistence of high growth firms: A ‘broken clock’ critique," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(6).
    7. Ross Brown & Suzanne Mawson & Augusto Rocha, 2023. "Places are not like people: the perils of anthropomorphism within entrepreneurial ecosystems research," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(2), pages 384-396, February.
    8. Rocha, Augusto & Brown, Ross & Mawson, Suzanne, 2021. "Capturing conversations in entrepreneurial ecosystems," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(9).
    9. Malerba, Franco, 2002. "Sectoral systems of innovation and production," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 247-264, February.
    10. Shanji Xin & Keun Lee, 2025. "Big businesses versus institutions for entrepreneurship: new firm creation and growth in China," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 65(1), pages 475-507, June.
    11. Georgios Fotopoulos, 2023. "Knowledge Spillovers, Entrepreneurial Ecosystems and the Geography of High Growth Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 47(5), pages 1877-1914, September.
    12. Leendertse, Jip & Schrijvers, Mirella & Stam, Erik, 2022. "Measure Twice, Cut Once: Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Metrics," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(9).
    13. Sarah Herzog & Colin Mason & Michaela Hruskova, 2024. "The role of large corporations in entrepreneurial ecosystems – a case study of Munich," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(6), pages 1295-1317, June.
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    1. Alex Coad & Clemens Domnick & Pietro Santoleri & Stjepan Srhoj, 2026. "Critical perspectives on entrepreneurial ecosystems," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 51(1), pages 1-10, February.

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