ABSTRACT
The evaluation process and mindset of EE programs are presented and discussed in this chapter, addressing their complexity and differentiating between programs, with a focus on process versus outcomes and ways of generating information. Above all, EE is viewed from the eyes of the beholder, thus creating a variety of values for each pertinent ecosystem body; for example, regional development (for government), ROI (for venture capital companies), advancing innovation in the company (for the entrepreneur). The first part of the chapter raises the question of how EE programs converge into a framework that leads to a flourishing entrepreneurial ecosystem. The second part addresses this question by gathering together the principles that have been debated throughout the book to provide a conceptual organization of the enabling systems’ realm. The foundations of smart mapping are established in an attempt to respond to a real need arising from the EE proliferation. The book’s concluding case study describes an innovative program to accelerate startups for the Chinese market, in Beijing, China.
