UNDERSTANDING INNOVATION ECOSYSTEMS: A BIOMIMETIC APPROACH

This essay seeks in the original concepts of ecosystems derived from Biology, to expand the knowledge of the innovation ecosystems field, from Biomimetics. Using this approach, it was possible to offer a set of original findings and answer some criticisms in the management literature. Among the current criticisms is that there is no difference between the approach of innovation systems, for that we approach the origin of the term “eco” and learn that an innovation ecosystem is formed by agents and economic relations (biotic elements), as well as non-economic parts, such as technology, knowledge, laws, culture, etc. (abiotic elements). In other words, an innovation system deals only with the “biotic” part, while the study of ecosystems becomes more complex. Another current criticism refers to the limits of the phenomenon for management studies. From biomimetics, we learn that the limit of an ecosystem is given geographically (physical space) and must understand the identification of the different set of actors it comprises (biotic) and how they interact with the non-economic (abiotic) elements in that space. The mainstream has also proposed some ecosystem life cycle assessments and we propose that dynamics of roles and forms of action evolve according to the life cycle of the ecosystem, which follows a process of co-evolution, and we also discovered what guarantees can build, maintain or shatter na innovation ecosystem. And finally, we emphasize that Innovation Ecosystems can be created, but they need forms of governance to guarantee their evolution, as a way to face criticisms about the impossibility of creating innovation ecosystems in different spaces.