The “innovation ecosystem” is an umbrella term used to account for the common efforts of different stakeholders to achieve innovation. Suppliers provide key parts and technologies that are complemented by products and services provided by a variety of other actors, while customers establish demand and capabilities. In this process of joint value creation, companies gain a competitive advantage by appreciating the overall value of the products and services delivered to customers. Themes including the cooperation between actors, the creation and acquisition of value by organizations, and ecosystem leadership have received increasing interest from both practitioners and scholars. Nevertheless, many knowledge gaps remain and there is urgent need to increase our understanding regarding the formation of innovation ecosystems. Although the genesis of innovation ecosystems has received limited attention to date, it has significant impact not only for research and practice, but also for policies aiming to promote the economic welfare of sectors, regions, and countries. It is crucial to understand the process of innovation ecosystem formation, because this period of ecosystem evolution is the most fragile. Therefore, external provision of the necessary conditions, resources, and activities during this period will have the highest impact. We are conducting a systematic review to understand the origins of innovation ecosystems, as well as the evolution, gaps, and trends associated with this process. Following PRISMA guidelines, we are searching the ISI Web of Science from database inception to Sept 1, 2021, for relevant studies. No restrictions on language or study design have been applied. Risk of bias, data extraction, and sensitivity analysis are being performed by two independent investigators. This talk presents the results from this work in an effort to increase our understanding regarding the formation of innovation ecosystems.