Foundations for Forest-Based Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: An Assessment of a Spanish Region

The forest-based bioeconomy (FBB) is increasingly recognized as a key pillar of Euro-pean bioeconomy strategies, with potential to drive sustainable innovation, rural de-velopment, and climate action. However, regional disparities persist, particularly in Southern Europe. This study assesses the development of a FBB entrepreneurial eco-system located in the Spanish region of Castilla-La Mancha, using an adapted multi-dimensional framework that considers institutional, supply, and demand-side drivers. Results indicate an incipient and fragmented ecosystem: while initiatives such as UFIL Cuenca foster entrepreneurship and innovation, the region lacks a coherent strategic vision, cluster development, and effective stakeholder coordination. Sectoral roundtables are viewed as critical but currently underutilized governance platforms. The study emphasizes the importance of aligning forest-based resources with sup-portive entrepreneurial environments—where networks, infrastructure, and institu-tional mechanisms interact—to enable systemic innovation and sustainable regional development. The findings highlight the need for integrated regional strategies, strengthened governance mechanisms, and expanded entrepreneurship support to advance the FBB ecosystem in CLM.