Entrepreneurship & Regional Development

Frontier Technology Entrepreneurship and the Future of Innovation-Driven Regional Development

Overview and Motivation

The rapid advancement of frontier technologies including artificial intelligence, blockchain, quantum computing, the internet of things, synthetic biology, space technology, and advanced robotics, has created unprecedented opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurs (Lamine et al., 2024). These technologies are not only reshaping industries but also redefining how new ventures emerge, scale, and integrate into entrepreneurial ecosystems (Chalmers et al. 2021).

While the past decade has witnessed a proliferation of high-technology start-ups and an increasing reliance on innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems, the theoretical integration of high-tech entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial ecosystems, and regional development remains fragmented and insufficiently problematized (Nambisan, 2017). Three key gaps in the literature motivate this special issue:

First, research on high-technology entrepreneurship has often focused on firm-level capabilities and innovation processes (Bailetti, 2012), but has not kept pace with global infrastructural complexities shaping frontier technology ventures. The growing interdependence between technological development and geopolitical tensions, such as techno-nationalism, digital sovereignty, institutional uncertainty and regulatory decoupling, requires a reconceptualization of what entrepreneurial agency and opportunity recognition mean in these uncertain and changing contexts (Zahra & Nambisan, 2012).

Second, although the entrepreneurial ecosystem literature has expanded rapidly (Autio et al., 2018), it tends to assume coherence and stability. Yet, frontier technology ventures increasingly operate in fragmented or multi-scalar ecosystems, where institutional voids, funding asymmetries, and nonmarket actors (Fuenfschilling & Binz, 2018) play pivotal roles (Biru et al. 2025). This raises questions about entrepreneurial ecosystem inclusivity, resilience, and adaptability in the face of rapid technological evolution and political instability (Brown & Mawson, 2019; Spigel & Harrison, 2018).

Third, the regional development literature has emphasized agglomeration and proximity, yet has been slow to theorize how global value chains, integrated digital infrastructures, and techno-industrial transitions shape entrepreneurial opportunities in both core and peripheral regions (Pike et al., 2016). These tensions warrant regional comparative study and interdisciplinary research on how institutional heterogeneity and technological intensity jointly influence frontier technology venture trajectories and scalability.

Therefore, there is an urgent need for a deeper and more integrated exploration of how entrepreneurs navigate, shape, and are constrained by regional and global systems in the age of deep technology (Siegel & Krishnan, 2020). In particular, we are interested in better understanding the institutional, spatial, and technological asymmetries that determine which regions and actors benefit from frontier technologies and which are left behind (Audretsch & Belitski, 2021).

The urgency of this special issue is underscored by three converging forces:

1. Post-pandemic transformations in global innovation systems, including a shift toward nearshoring, digital resilience, and regionalized supply chains (Binz & Truffer, 2017);

2. Geopolitical fragmentation and digital sovereignty concerns disrupting the flow of talent, data, and capital across regions (Garud et al., 2014; Paunov et al., 2019);

3. Sustainability imperatives, which are pushing both frontier technology ventures and regional ecosystems to reconcile technological ambition with social and ecological responsibility (Klofsten et al., 2024; George et al. 2021).

This special issue will contribute to the broader understanding of how frontier technologies are transforming industries and regions and how global context is influencing frontier technologies. Focusing on the entrepreneurial aspects of these technologies allows us to uncover the mechanisms that drive innovation, the strategies that enable scaling, and the policies that support sustainable growth (Löfsten, 2024), which are crucial for supporting a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem capable of adapting to the rapid pace of technological change and driving economic development.

Aims and Scope of the Special Issue

This special issue aims to investigate how entrepreneurship is shaping the future of innovation-driven regions through the advancement of frontier technologies. We invite theoretical, conceptual, and empirical contributions that examine the mechanisms through which entrepreneurs identify and seize opportunities in deep tech-driven industries, the strategies they employ to scale their ventures (Clarysse & Thiel, 2025), and the resources that enable their growth (Rabelo Neto et al. 2024; Nambisan, 2017).

We seek research that investigates the role of entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems, universities, science parks, incubators, and accelerators in fostering frontier technology ventures (Mian et al., 2016; Audretsch & Belitski, 2021). This includes exploring the dynamics of commercialization and diffusion of emerging technologies (Haessler et al., 2023), as well as the challenges and enablers in these processes. Additionally, we welcome studies on the influence of regional clusters and knowledge spillovers in promoting high-tech ventures (Cetindamar et al., 2020).

The impact of policy, regulation, and governance frameworks on the development and sustainability of deep-tech ventures is also of interest (Gholipour et al., 2025; Autio et al., 2018), along with comparative analyses of frontier technology ventures across various regional, national, and global contexts (Kapturkiewicz, 2025; Siegel, & Krishnan, 2020).

Expanding the scope to include a diverse range of methodologies and perspectives allows us to capture the multifaceted nature of frontier technology ventures and their impact on innovation-driven growth. This includes exploring the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship, the role of digital transformation in scaling ventures (Lange et al., 2023), and the influence of global trends on local entrepreneurial activities (Kraus et al., 2021).

We are particularly interested in how regional innovation ecosystems—including digital platforms—shape entrepreneurial strategies in frontier technology sectors, and how these strategies, in turn, influence the growth of ventures and reshape regional development trajectories (c.f. Lamine et al., 2024; Autio et al., 2018), the impact of global supply chains and international trade policies on the scalability of high-tech start-ups (Nambisan et al., 2019), and the influence of cultural and social factors on entrepreneurial behaviour and venture success in different regions (Zahra & Wright, 2011; Spigel, 2017). Additionally, the role of sustainability and social responsibility in shaping the strategies and operations of frontier technology ventures is a key area of interest (Fuenfschilling & Binz, 2018).

We encourage submissions that offer fresh theoretical insights, rigorous empirical analyses, and practical recommendations for entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and growth stakeholders. Broadening the scope to include these additional areas allows us to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors that drive innovation and growth in the context of frontier technologies, contributing to the academic discourse while offering practical insights for entrepreneurs, policymakers, and other stakeholders involved in fostering innovation-driven regional growth.

Themes and Research Questions

We invite submissions that explore the entrepreneurial dynamics of frontier technology ventures from various perspectives, including opportunity recognition, firm-level capabilities, ecosystem actors’ interactions, and policy frameworks. Contributions may address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

Theme 1: Opportunity identification, business models, and scaling strategies in frontier technology ventures

• How do technology entrepreneurs identify and create opportunities in highly uncertain and knowledge-intensive markets?
• What business models are most effective for commercializing and scaling frontier technologies?
• How do entrepreneurs balance technological innovation with market feasibility in emerging industries?
• What are the critical success factors for scaling high-tech start-ups across regions and international markets?

Theme 2: Entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems, networks, and regional clusters

• What role do regional innovation ecosystems, science parks, incubators, and accelerators play in supporting frontier technology ventures?
• How do knowledge spillovers, industry-university linkages, and open innovation networks influence the growth of frontier technology firms?
• What are the barriers and enablers for frontier technology entrepreneurs in developed versus emerging innovation hubs?
• How do venture capital, angel investors, and alternative funding mechanisms such as crowdfunding impact frontier technology ventures across different regional contexts?
• How do corporate ventures and university spin-offs contribute to regional innovation-driven growth?

Theme 3: Policy, regulation, and institutional support for frontier technology ventures

• What policy frameworks enhance or hinder frontier technology ventures at the regional and national levels?
• How do regulatory sandboxes, intellectual property regimes, and government incentives affect start-up creation and scaling in emerging technology sectors?
• What role do public-private partnerships, cross-border collaborations, and trade policies play in shaping the internationalization of frontier technology start-ups?
• How do regional and global institutions and platforms act as facilitators of frontier technology ventures?

Theme 4: Global and comparative perspectives on frontier technology ventures

• What lessons can be learned from successful regional clusters of frontier technology ventures (e.g., Silicon Valley, Sophia Antipolis, Zhongguancun Science Park)?
• How do frontier technology start-ups in emerging economies differ in their approach to venture creation and scaling compared to those in developed economies?
• What are the key drivers of frontier technology ventures in regions with limited innovation infrastructure?
• How do frontier technology entrepreneurs navigate global market entry and expansion given regional disparities in regulatory and funding environments?

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