About EERS

EERS (Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Research School) is a travelling international research school dedicated to the field of entrepreneurial ecosystems. Founded at Utrecht University in 2022 by Erik Stam and Niels Bosma, the school has since travelled to Casablanca, Paris, Stuttgart, Bilbao and Lyon, and convenes in Milano in September 2026 for its 7th edition.

Origin story

From that virtual break-out room in 2021 — between an Utrecht-based ecosystem scholar and an Africa-focused entrepreneurship researcher — to a permanent travelling school with seven editions, EERS has become a small but tight scholarly community: senior scholars and emerging voices, European and African ecosystems, theory and field evidence — all in one room, twice a year.

Mission

EERS exists to consolidate, refine and renew the scientific agenda on entrepreneurial ecosystems. Each edition combines plenary keynotes from leading scholars, parallel research tracks, a doctoral consortium and paper-development workshops with editors of the field's flagship journals.

A travelling school

The travelling format is deliberate: by rotating hosts (Utrecht, ADALIA Casablanca, IAE Paris-Sorbonne, ENI Stuttgart, Deusto/UPV Bilbao, iaelyon, LIUC Milano…), EERS embeds itself in the diversity of European and African ecosystems. The permanent EERS team curates each edition jointly with the local hosting institution.

Peer-reviewed throughout

Every paper presented at an EERS edition has passed through a double-blind peer-review process anchored on five criteria (originality, theoretical contribution, methodological rigour, clarity, fit). Best paper awards are granted by the Scientific Council.

In the OSE galaxy

EERS sits in a coherent galaxy of scientific initiatives — alongside the Observatory of Supports for Entrepreneurship (OSE in Africa) and ADALIA Institute — that share data, scholars and a common commitment to scientific rigour in the study of entrepreneurial ecosystems.