Abstract

Business ecosystems have changed the nature of competition among regions. Various organisations have been established to catalyse local innovation, such as CONNECT in San Diego, California, USA. This study explores the role of an intermediary organisation in establishing trust in a business ecosystem. This paper presents literature findings on business ecosystems, innovation in a spatial context, trust, and previous studies about San Diego. The empirical part of the study includes an analysis of the health and life sciences business ecosystem in San Diego, the role of trust, and how an intermediary organisation contributes to the ecosystem. The study demonstrates that trust is important for the ecosystem’s success, and an intermediary organisation can increase the trust among the actors. The results indicate that decision-makers should invest in accelerator and mentoring programmes to catalyse local innovation. Additionally, ecosystem members should participate in the intermediaries’ activities to strengthen their ecosystem.