نوع مقاله : علمی- پژوهشی
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
Introduction: Border regions play a vital role in foreign trade and foreign exchange generation, holding particular significance for regional and national economic prosperity. By linking the economies of neighboring countries and providing livelihoods for local households, these regions facilitate international economic and social interactions as well as sustainable welfare and security. Borders, once regarded as obstacles, have now been transformed into economic opportunities through globalization. Border markets, as an effective strategy, not only facilitate exports but also contribute to job creation and income growth. The sustainable development of these regions requires attention to security, political, economic, social, and cultural dimensions. Entrepreneurship, as a driver of economic growth, demands a supportive environment—an environment that the "entrepreneurial ecosystem" approach defines as a dynamic constellation of actors, institutions, policies, and markets. Given the trade potential of Ilam Province and the Mehran international border, alongside the challenges of unemployment and deprivation, a deep understanding of the current state of the entrepreneurial ecosystem at this border terminal is essential. Accordingly, this study, employing a phenomenological method, aims to qualitatively evaluate this ecosystem from the stakeholders' perspective in order to identify its dimensions, challenges, and opportunities, thereby providing a basis for informed policymaking.
Methodology: This research was conducted using a qualitative approach with an applied purpose, employing a descriptive-analytical design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with 13 experts and economic actors at the Mehran border terminal. Purposive sampling was initially employed, followed by network and theoretical sampling until theoretical saturation was reached. Data analysis involved open, axial, and selective coding. The trustworthiness of the findings was ensured through member checking, multi-researcher involvement, self-reflexivity, and the provision of thick descriptions of the research process. These strategies contributed to the credibility, confirmability, and transferability of the results.
Findings: The entrepreneurial ecosystem of the Mehran border terminal faces significant challenges in work culture, institutional synergy, physical and digital infrastructure, and governance. Furthermore, human and financial capital suffer from deficiencies in training, access to financial resources, and competitiveness. Innovation, in both economic and institutional dimensions, has also been neglected, and security remains a persistent concern. Despite geographical and human potential, overcoming these structural, cultural, and economic obstacles requires fundamental reforms in governance, targeted investment, and the establishment of robust linkages between innovation, capital, and academic institutions in order to transform Mehran into a border entrepreneurship hub.
Conclusion / Implications: This phenomenological study has examined the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the Mehran border terminal across eight core categories, characterizing it as a complex and multidimensional phenomenon that demands simultaneous attention to institutional, cultural, infrastructural, human, financial, innovative, and security-related aspects. The findings highlight the decisive impact of work and hospitality culture, severe weakness in institutional synergy, deficiencies in physical and digital infrastructure, unstable and security-oriented governance, shortcomings in human capital training and job security, difficult access to financial capital, and the confinement of innovation primarily to the discursive level. This research underscores that sustainable border development necessitates strengthening security, reforming governance, developing smart infrastructure, empowering human capital, and institutionalizing innovation through the interaction of economic actors.
کلیدواژهها English
