Abstract

Background and Aim: Nowadays, entrepreneurial ecosystems, as a vital foundation for fostering entrepreneurial behavior and its main antecedent, entrepreneurial intention, have received significant attention from researchers, particularly in the agricultural sector. Recognizing trends in published articles, identifying leading researchers and countries, and analyzing thematic focus areas are essential steps toward uncovering research gaps and strengthening theoretical foundations. Despite related studies, comprehensive scientometric and bibliographic analyses that integrate entrepreneurial ecosystems and entrepreneurial intentions within agriculture remain limited. This study aims to systematically analyze existing research, identify thematic focuses, active authors, countries, and institutions, and visualize knowledge mapping in this field. The research seeks to pinpoint hotspots, trends, and future directions, providing a basis for strengthening theoretical foundations and guiding future studies.
Methodology:This study systematically analyzes bibliographic research focused on entrepreneurial ecosystems and entrepreneurial intention in agriculture. The research is applied in terms of its objectives and documentary regarding its data collection method. Data were retrieved from the Scopus database, encompassing all scientific publications (articles, book chapters, etc.) from 2000 to February 2025. Keywords used in the search process included "entrepreneurial ecosystem," "agricultural entrepreneurship," and "intention," utilizing the formula ((TITLE-ABS-KEY (entrepren* AND ecosystem) AND TITLE-ABS-KEY (agri* AND entrepren*) OR TITLE-ABS-KEY (intention)). A total of 511 relevant scientific records were identified and stored, followed by bibliometric analyses conducted using the VOSviewer software. These analyses examined co-citation patterns, co-authorship among researchers and countries, and the co-occurrence of keywords. Bibliometric analysis, as a scientific method, enables the study of the temporal evolution of a research field and provides unbiased mapping of related topics. This approach is particularly effective in interdisciplinary fields such as entrepreneurial ecosystems and entrepreneurial intention in agriculture. The population of the study consists of all scientific documents indexed in the field, while analytical tools facilitated the identification of relationships among authors, institutions, and research topics.

Findings: The trend of published articles in entrepreneurial ecosystems and entrepreneurial intention within agriculture was minimal until 2010, with only 13 scientific documents published. From 2011 to 2018, there was a gradual increase in publication trends, while between 2018 and 2024, excluding 2022, a significant surge in publication rates and researchers' interest in this field was observed. Over 400 scientific documents have been published, with entrepreneurial ecosystems receiving more attention compared to entrepreneurial intentions, which emerged later in research timelines. India, the United States, and China rank as the top three leading countries in this field, while Iran holds the 24th position with 8 documents. Additionally, the highest number of publications, totaling 105 scientific documents (20.55%), was observed in 2024. During the analysis period, 1415 keywords and 10 clusters were identified in this field. Leading researchers in this domain include Jia from China, Ataei from Iran, and Desa from the United States, ranking first to third, respectively. Keywords such as entrepreneurship, ecosystem, and agriculture were identified as the most frequently used.
Conclusion:This study reveals that attention to the field of entrepreneurial ecosystems and entrepreneurial intention in agriculture has increased significantly in recent years, with leading countries such as India, the United States, and China playing a prominent role in knowledge production. The analyses also highlight the focus of studies on topics such as entrepreneurial ecosystems, sustainability, and sustainable agriculture, while identifying notable gaps, such as insufficient focus on rural entrepreneurial ecosystems. These findings provide a basis for more comprehensive and targeted research in this field, contributing to the theoretical and practical development of agricultural entrepreneurial ecosystems and entrepreneurial intentions. This research highlights the growing need for theoretical advancements in agricultural entrepreneursh.