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n 2. 1. 1. Introduction to entrepreneurshipEtymologically, the term entrepreneurship comes from French, in particular from%u201centreprendre%u201d. If we go back a few centuries, we find the following definitionsof entrepreneur (Janssen, 2016; Hadjitchoneva, 2022):%u25aa active economic agent (Cantillon); %u25aa anyone who works on his own account and in his own interest (Say).Nowadays, scholars define it as:%u25aa any attempt at a new business or new venture such as self-employment, anew business organisation, or expansion of an existing business at theindividual, team, or existing business level (Reynolds et al.);%u25aa the action or initiative of an individual(s) who creates or seizes a businessopportunity for profit, establishing enterprise(s) and creating new value forthird parties to whom the action or initiative is directed (Verstraete & Fayolle);%u25aa %u201cneither a science nor an art. It is a practice. It is a knowledge-baseddiscipline, and, like all knowledge-based disciplines, it has to be practised,learned and improved%u201d (Drucker);%u25aa the process of creative destruction, whereby old ways of doing things aredestroyed and replaced with new methods and innovations, leading toeconomic growth and development (Schumpeter);%u25aa the process of creating something new with value by devoting thenecessary time and effort, assuming the accompanying financial,psychological, and social risks, and receiving the resulting rewards ofmonetary and personal satisfaction and independence (Burns).So, entrepreneurship is about:%u25aa different perspectives on entrepreneurship; %u25aa action, practice, art, process, doing;%u25aa focus on opportunity recognition, innovation, risk-taking, and the resourcesto mobilise; %u25aa a multifaceted concept; %u25aa various aspects as emphasised by different authors;%u25aa vision but also planning, organising, coordinating, controlling.Additionally, %u201chidden advantages%u201d (Gladwell, 2011) should be taken intoconsideration for the success of the entrepreneur, such as cultural heritage,background, patronage, hard work, place, rules in society, timing, and luck.532.1 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems and Business Modelling