The co-evolution of ecosystem and university’s roles: a focus on the integration of technologies and cultural heritage

Innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems' viability is related to knowledge creation, exchange, and re-combination, and the pivotal role of universities in these contexts is widely recognised. Recently, scholars have directed attention to their role as entrepreneurial universities, with a focus on the propelling activities of their technology transfer offices. However, a clear analysis of universities' roles in ecosystems is still missing. To fill this gap, we conduct a qualitative case study to investigate the different roles universities play during the emergence and development of an ecosystem, focusing on their co-evolution. As cultural industries are cogent examples of contexts where technologies are used with a more human-centric approach, we selected the high-technology district for the cultural heritage of Campania, a region in Southern Italy. The longitudinal and retrospective perspectives adopted allow us to highlight how the participants' roles and the relationships among them are promoted and encouraged by universities. During the ecosystem emergence, universities co-evolve their roles, acting as initiators, facilitators, coordinators, and stimulators. This co-evolution is further supported by technology that develops solutions for collaboration and knowledge exchange.