A proposed conceptual framework for the study of research ecosystems

The concept of ecosystems serves as a powerful metaphor in organizational studies that helps to handle the complexity of the environment in contemporary organizations and steps forward the movement towards symbiotic and co-evolutionary organizational networks. This paper elaborates on the concept of ecosystems to propose a conceptual framework for research ecosystems. The proposed concept of research ecosystems can offer significant benefits for the coordination of research initiatives because it clarifies the attributes of the research environments, outlines the general context in which research activities take place and supports the movement from the contextual level to the particular projectspsila level. The paper delineates also two methods for the study of research ecosystems that refer to the assessment of the density of relationships in research ecosystems and the development of research networks as temporary constellations of research entities.