Importance In spite of the crisis in the global and national economy, the problem of entrepreneurship development becomes particularly relevant. The rates and quality of entrepreneurship development are determined not only by the quality of entrepreneurs, but also by the level of development of entrepreneurial ecosystem. Objectives The aim of this work is to identify the factors that influence the development of an ecosystem of entrepreneurs of the Nizhny Novgorod region. The objectives of the study were: analysis of open source information to make an assessment of the existence and current development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem elements (financing, support system, policies on business, markets, human resources, research and development activities, quality of life); evaluation component of the entrepreneurial ecosystem using expert interviews. Methods Using qualitative analysis techniques in the present work, we examined various aspects of investment activity in the regions, revealing the most effective management of investment activities at the regional level. We also carried out benchmarking of the considered management systems. Results The paper identifies the major constraints of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region: the underdevelopment of the financial sector and the instability of tax legislation, weak integration of entrepreneurship with the sphere of higher education. Conclusions and Relevance Based on the data acquired, it is possible to quantify the development of entrepreneurial ecosystem. Using the information from expert interviews, it is necessary to operationalize the concepts presented in the entrepreneurial ecosystem models and develop a tool of quantitative assessment of entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Keywords: entrepreneurial ecosystem, entrepreneurship, human capital assets, region, government regulation
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