Final Scientific/ Expert Report on Virtual World Entrepreneurship: A look at Entrepreneurs in the Nordic Region Exploring the Use of Virtual Worlds for Entrepreneurial Activity

This report reviews our approach, case studies, results, and implications for the NVWN Work Package 3: Entrepreneurship, and it is written with practitioners and policymakers in mind. We base our work on the concepts of affordances, or the material and social properties of any technology in relation to affording actions to humans, of the 3D web (or 3D internet) or virtual worlds (hereafter noted with the term VWs), social networks, and the diffusion or spread of innovation.
We conducted seven case studies through qualitative interviews with entrepreneurs across three sectors working with VW internet technologies: 1) film and multimedia, 2) health care, and 3) high-tech industries. The entrepreneurs are located in or have strong connections to the Nordic region, e.g., Nordic citizens living abroad, and are all internationally oriented. The results of the case studies of entrepreneurs highlight three different aspects related to working with VW technologies: 1) VW affordances, 2) the importance of social networks, and 3) virtual collaboration in complex project teams.