Ekonomia — Wroclaw Economic Review 28/3 (2022) Acta Universitatis Wratislaviensis No 4133 https://doi.org/10.19195/2658-1310.28.3.5 Edyta Ropuszyńska-Surma ORCID: 0000-0002-0163-8810 Wroclaw University of Science and Technology edyta.ropuszynska-surma@pwr.edu.pl Magdalena Węglarz ORCID: 0000-0003-4201-7225 Wroclaw University of Science and Technology magdalena.weglarz@pwr.edu.pl Piotr Kubiński ORCID: 0000-0002-9250-2141 Wroclaw University of Science and Technology piotr.kubinski@pwr.edu.pl The role of networking in building a start-up business model Date of submission: 9.06.2022; date of acceptance: 16.08.2022 JEL classifcation: M130, D210 Keywords: business model (BM), canvas model, cooperation network, start-up, innovation Abstract The aim of this paper is two-fold. It focuses on the identifcation of crucial elements of the business model for the development of start-ups and for their potential to create innovation, as well as the infuence of network cooperation on the components of their business model. The canvas model is used to illustrate the research outputs. Additionally, the research aimed at identifying what start-ups expect from the networks in which they exist (e.g., technological parks) in terms of creating ap- propriate conditions supporting innovations. The study was done using three expert panels in which 28 start-ups participated. The research and its results are qualitative and are presented as a case study. The research was conducted by the authors in 2019 and concerns start-ups participating in coopera- tion networks, but its results could be interesting not only for start-ups, but also for everyone inter- ested in the issues of cooperation between various entities and its potential to stimulate innovation. Ekonomia — Wroclaw Economic Review 28/3 (2022) © for this edition by CNS