This paper studies entrepreneurship ecosystem development in a context little discussed in the extant literature to date: Oman. Specifically, it focuses on business incubation (BI) initiatives as a policy tool for developing the local, regional, and national systems of supporting entrepreneurship and SME growth. Although BI’s are a popular policy measure for ecosystem development, spreading globally from their original conception in the United States around 60 years ago, their universal effectiveness is questioned. We analyse the tenability of BI as an economic development strategy by entrepreneurship ecosystems as a conceptual framework to help us understand the multitudinous cultural, institutional, and governance structures required for success. Specifically, we consider these ecosystem dynamics and their influence on the incubation of SMEs in the novel context of an oil-rich yet transitioning economy such as Oman. Conducting interviews with 22 key informants within a range of ecosystem actors (policy-makers, incubator managers, academics, and entrepreneurs) we find that existing capabilities within the Omani BI programme are not yet fully fit for purpose, highlighting the need to establish developmental priorities for the wider entrepreneurial ecosystem, bottom-up. Finally, we reflect on the wider cultural and institutional constraints highlighted, and suggest potentially fruitful avenues for further research.

中文翻译：

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在新环境中应用生态系统模型？阿曼创业孵化案例

本文在迄今为止的现有文献中很少讨论的背景下研究创业生态系统的发展：阿曼。具体而言，它侧重于将企业孵化 (BI) 举措作为发展支持创业和中小企业发展的地方、区域和国家系统的政策工具。尽管 BI 是一种流行的生态系统发展政策措施，从大约 60 年前在美国的最初构想开始在全球范围内传播，但其普遍有效性受到质疑。我们通过创业生态系统分析 BI 作为经济发展战略的可行性，作为一个概念框架，以帮助我们了解成功所需的众多文化、制度和治理结构。具体来说，我们考虑了这些生态系统动态及其对在阿曼等石油资源丰富但经济转型的新背景下对中小企业孵化的影响。对一系列生态系统参与者（政策制定者、孵化器管理者、学者和企业家）中的 22 位关键知情人进行采访，我们发现阿曼 BI 计划中的现有能力尚未完全符合目标，强调需要确定发展优先事项对于更广泛的创业生态系统，自下而上。最后，我们反思了突出显示的更广泛的文化和制度限制，并为进一步研究提出了可能富有成效的途径。学者和企业家）我们发现阿曼 BI 计划中的现有能力尚未完全符合目的，这突出表明需要为更广泛的创业生态系统自下而上建立发展优先事项。最后，我们反思了突出显示的更广泛的文化和制度限制，并为进一步研究提出了可能富有成效的途径。学者和企业家）我们发现阿曼 BI 计划中的现有能力尚未完全符合目的，这突出表明需要为更广泛的创业生态系统自下而上建立发展优先事项。最后，我们反思了突出显示的更广泛的文化和制度限制，并为进一步研究提出了可能富有成效的途径。