Designing an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Model around Shiraz Metro Stations with an Emphasis on Innovative Businesses and Local Economy: An Integrated Transit-Oriented Development Approach

The transformation of metro stations from transportation facilities into multifunctional urban centers has become a major strategy for achieving sustainable urban development and economic resilience. This study aims to design an entrepreneurial ecosystem model around Shiraz metro stations with an emphasis on innovative businesses and local economic development. The research adopts a mixed-method approach consisting of qualitative and quantitative phases. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ۲۵ experts in urban planning, entrepreneurship, transportation management, and economic development. Thematic analysis identified seven principal dimensions of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, including institutional support, infrastructure, innovation networks, financial resources, entrepreneurial culture, community participation, and market accessibility. In the quantitative phase, data were collected from ۳۶۲ respondents and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings indicate that infrastructure (ẞ ۰.۴۸), institutional support (ẞ ۰.۴۲), and entrepreneurial culture (ẞ = ۰.۳۹) are the most influential determinants of innovative business formation around metro stations. Furthermore, innovative businesses significantly affect local economic development (B = ۰.۵۷, p < ۰.۰۰۱). The model demonstrates satisfactory explanatory power, accounting for ۶۹% of the variance in innovative business development and ۶۲% of local economic growth. The study concludes that metro station areas in Shiraz possess substantial potential to become innovation districts and entrepreneurial hubs capable of enhancing urban competitiveness and sustainable economic development.

کلیدواژه ها:

Entrepreneurial Ecosystem ، Metro Stations ، Transit-Oriented Development ، Innovative Businesses ، Local Economy ، Shiraz