Accelerating Regions: How Accelerators Adapt to Institutional, Social, and Spatial Contexts

Abstract: Given the calls to examine accelerators across different regions and contexts, we ask the research question: How do accelerators adapt to institutional, social, and spatial constraints of emerging and established ecosystems? With this research question, we conduct qualitative research to understand how two different accelerators, one located in Skåne, Sweden and another located in Dhaka, Bangladesh, are affected and shaped by their contexts. These cases were deliberately selected to contrast the regional constraints stemming from established and emerging regions (Eisenhardt and Gaebner, 2007). To develop a broader and more nuanced understanding of how accelerators adapt to different regions, we triangulate our data with multiple stakeholders such as accelerator staff, advisors, and start-up founders. The results indicate that there are marked differences in adaptations of accelerators in emerging regions, especially in bridging institutional gaps. We also observed that common practices across both regions include promoting entrepreneurship culture and collaborating with ecosystem stakeholders. Finally, we present a working theory that can be used as a guide for future research on accelerators in emerging and established ecosystems.