Exploring the construction of social capital within the student entrepreneurship sub-ecosystem

The aim of this article is to show how student entrepreneurs construct their social capital within the sub-ecosystem of student entrepreneurship. We conducted a single case study on the professional network of a cohort of students participating in an entrepreneurship programme in the city of Strasbourg in France. Analysis of their professional networks for their entrepreneurial project reveals the relational dynamics between student entrepreneurs, very strong at the beginning of the scheme but fading over time. Our results also cover the dynamics of professional relationships with other actors in the student entrepreneurship sub-ecosystem, which tend to disperse over time. However, it appears that the role of some students is changing, moving from that of student learner to that of entrepreneur who plays an intermediary role within this sub-ecosystem.