The literature on coopetition has focused largely on large organizations, exploring outcomes like enhanced innovation, performance, and organizational learning while addressing tensions within coopetitive relationships. However, studies on SMEs and entrepreneurs in this context remain limited. This research examines coopetition as an entrepreneurial process through the lens of effectuation. By studying the offshore racing hub in Lorient, a coopetitive ecosystem, this study makes three contributions to the coopetition literature: it demonstrates how effectuation anchors within coopetitive processes, shows that entrepreneurs prioritize project viability over performance, and reveals that coopetition evolves with entrepreneurial projects. Additionally, it contributes to the effectuation literature by identifying a hierarchy among its principles, emphasizing its role in organizational survival rather than performance, and exploring its antecedents through entrepreneur characteristics. These findings enhance understanding of the interplay between effectuation and coopetition in entrepreneurial ecosystems.
