Qatar's Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: Pathways for Innovation

This book is about understanding how to build sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems. This term is derived primarily from two research fields: entrepreneurial ecosystems and sustainable development. It will delve into how these two terms combine and introduce the concepts of sustainable innovation, social capital, and communities as drivers of the ecosystem’s development. The book is intended for entrepreneurs, academics, researchers, policymakers, investors, or a combination of these, to learn more about how an individual or institution, from any part of an entrepreneurial ecosystem, can actively enhance sustainable economic growth through innovation. Anyone can become an entrepreneurial ecosystem builder from any position they hold in their community. This report explores the aspects that trigger innovation-driven entrepreneurial activities to differentiate from traditional business activities (e.g., coffee shops, beauty salons, flower shops, etc.). It addresses it from the macro- to the meso- and micro-levels to provide a broader context with institutional and individual factors within the ecosystems that act as enablers of entrepreneurs’ innovation activities. The book is structured into chapters with different levels of analysis of the ecosystem. In this regard, Chapter 1 provides an introduction to sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems. Chapters 2 and 3 focus on exploring the composition and interactions of the ecosystem as drivers of sustainable innovation. Chapters 4 and 5 focus on studying entrepreneurship education and women’s inclusion. Chapter 6 examines the impact of regulations and policies to support minorities in the entrepreneurial community. Chapter 2 starts with an ecosystem mapping of the stakeholders and identifies newcomers and potential gaps that need to be addressed to build an entrepreneurial culture that will drive the ecosystem outputs. Chapter 3 analyzes the existing indicators measuring the impact of innovation activities and compares them across the strategic sectors for sustainable development. Chapter 4 studies the support mechanisms and models of informal entrepreneurship education offered by the business incubators and its effectiveness according to entrepreneurs. Chapter 5 reviews the literature on women’s entrepreneurship in Qatar and provides a conceptual model to build a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem. Chapter 6 concludes by identifying and analyzing Qatar’s current policies fostering and constraining entrepreneurial activities, with a unique distinction between expatriates and citizens. At the same time, the author provides policy recommendations based on research collected throughout the report’s chapters