Abstract The papers in this special issue explore the rapid growth of venture development organizations globally. A consistent theme that runs throughout the contributions is that, while ecosystem development is necessary everywhere to enhance the economic impact of entrepreneurship, in emerging economies, contextualization is critical. Countries have idiosyncratic histories and development trajectories. Myriad stakeholders participate and shape local ecosystems. To illustrate, this introduction provides an overview of some key venture development initiatives in South Africa, and we consider how venture development organizations, particularly those based at academic institutions, could contribute to the development of the country’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. We provide suggestions for policy initiatives and academic research.

中文翻译：

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风险支持组织–点亮南非的创业之路？

摘要本期特刊的论文探讨了全球风险开发组织的快速增长。贯穿所有贡献的一个一致主题是，尽管在任何地方都必须发展生态系统以增强企业家精神的经济影响，但在新兴经济体中，情境化至关重要。各国有独特的历史和发展轨迹。众多利益相关者参与并塑造了本地生态系统。为了说明这一点，本简介概述了南非的一些关键风险开发计划，并且我们考虑了风险开发组织，特别是那些位于学术机构的风险开发组织，可以如何为南非的创业生态系统的发展做出贡献。我们为政策倡议和学术研究提供建议。