Structure and dynamics of a precarious entrepreneurial sub-ecosystem in a developed country

Entrepreneurial ecosystem research increasingly recognizes the importance of sub-ecosystems, yet their dynamics in contexts of precarity remain underexplored. This article introduces the concept of precarious entrepreneurial sub-ecosystems and examines how entrepreneurship unfolds under conditions of resource scarcity and social vulnerability in Montpellier, France. By mobilizing a complex adaptive systems perspective, we develop a multilevel model of a entrepreneurial sub-ecosystem. The analysis shows how such sub-ecosystems build solidarity-based coordination and navigate spatial, social and institutional boundaries to support precarious entrepreneurs. In doing so, the study extends entrepreneurial ecosystem theory to more fragile settings and refines the sub-ecosystem construct as a nested, adaptive, context-dependent system. It shows that even in constrained, marginalized contexts, entrepreneurial activity can be sustained through continuous adaptation, resource mobilization, and inclusive institutional frameworks.