Entrepreneurial university: The relationship between smart specialization innovation strategies and university-region collaboration (original) (raw)

The Challenges of Smart Specialization Strategies and the Role of Entrepreneurial Universities

Handbook of Research on Global Competitive Advantage through Innovation and Entrepreneurship

This chapter explores the relation between the concepts of entrepreneurial universities (EU) within the framework of Smart Specialization Strategies (S3). The latter is arising as a new competitive paradigm and universities can be of great importance for its successful implementation because of their contribution both as a partner institution, policy actor and producer of knowledge and social capital that can affect the potential for economic growth and development of regions. The links and contributions of both dimensions are presented and explored. As a final point, the concept of entrepreneurial ecosystem is presented as a consequence and future development of the dynamics resulting S3 and entrepreneurial universities interactions.

University Impact on Regional Development in the Context of Smart Specialisation

Edukacja Ekonomistów i Menedżerów, 2021

Regional development on the basis of smart specialisation entails the involvement of stakeholders in innovation processes such as business, public organisations, local government and academic sectors. Universities are the drivers of a region’s development because they have a broad research base. Using the methodology of the Joint Research Centre (European Commission), the impact of Sumy National Agrarian University on the development of the Sumy Region was assessed by such criteria as its cooperation with stakeholders, innovative infrastructure of the university, development of academic entrepreneurship, and its role in developing the region. The method of collecting qualitative data involved conducting structured interviews with the university administration and relevant departments. The collected data were analysed by content analysis. As a result of testing the methodology, its high level of applicability was noted in the Ukrainian academic space, outside the EU. It is recommende...

Entrepreneurial Universities' Strategic Role in Accelerated Innovation for Regional Growth

Examining the Role of Entrepreneurial Universities in Regional Development, 2020

This chapter provides a conceptual framework of entrepreneurial universities' strategic role which has been viewed as an operational approach of promoting innovation–driven regional growth. Nowadays, entrepreneurial universities' strategic role and research institutions' innovative capabilities are distinguished as significant knowledge facilitators for regional economic development, due to their spin-off that adds value through knowledge creation and entrepreneurial discovery process. This chapter exemplifies entrepreneurial universities' strategic perspectives and their impact on a regional innovation system that enables a region to be more creative and innovative, especially new EU member states' territories in order to create their pioneering business opportunity with worldwide competency.

Entrepreneurial Universities Perception and Regional Innovation System: Do They Really Create an Environment for Regional Economic Development?

Journal of Entrepreneurship Education, 2020

The aim of this paper is to exemplify the entrepreneurial universities creativities that influence on the increasing regional innovation system and encourage knowledge development environment for regional economic development. During the era of socioeconomic development and industrialization, the entrepreneurial university’s innovative activities have been perceived as an important facilitator for regional economic and social development. Inclusively, the prime goal of this paper is to highlight the importance of an entrepreneurial university and its influence on regional innovation systems that enable to create an environment for regional economic development. This paper presents the identification of what is necessary for the emerging conception of the entrepreneurial universities phronetic approach to entrepreneurship that facilitate in the development procedure of entrepreneurial activities within the region. In addition, it identifies the connection between entrepreneurial univ...

Entrepreneurial Capacity of Universities and Its Impact on Regional Economic Growth

Ekonomika regiona [Economy of Region], 2017

The scope of our research is the university as the key actor of economic change. Historically, it is possible to allocate four types of the university by analogy to four industrial revolutions. In the conditions of the fourth industrial revolution, there is a radical shift in the university model. From research and development and technology transfer, the University moves to the creation of the intellectual capital. The university does not simply conduct R&D for business but creates essentially new industries. The university becomes the center around which the new hi-tech enterprises grow. This phenomenon has been entitled entrepreneurial university that is the main actor of the entrepreneurial (startup) economy. In this study, we examined the different approaches to the evaluation of universities, first of all, global university rankings. Each ranking methodology assesses the different functional areas; a unified methodology of the evaluation of university as a complex system is currently lacking. At the same time, we tried to define the mechanism of the impact of the universities on regional economic growth grounding on a case of Russian universities. A comparative study of Novosibirsk and Tomsk universities has revealed key problem areas and barriers in the process of university engagement in regional economic systems. The findings will be used in further theoretical and applied research, as well as decision-making in the area of educational policy.

Discussing the Role of Universities in Fostering Regional Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

Economies, 2019

Over the past two decades, various policies have been implemented on an international and national level to support regional competitiveness, in which Universities are often called on to play a crucial role. Taking into account their contribution to the combined performance of education, the advanced research and the networking of knowledge, Universities are recognized as knowledge-intensive institutions and environments that foster human capital development, innovation and entrepreneurship. According to the current practice, Universities include in their mission not only a generalized transfer of know-how, but also the promotion of business thinking and entrepreneurial culture, the establishment of institutions, actions as well as the creation of venture capital, thus contributing further to the promotion of regional entrepreneurial ecosystems. By examining the entrepreneurship development in teaching and learning through the various actions of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Units of the Greek Universities between 2011 and 2015, the present article aims at assessing the contribution of the Greek Universities to the fostering of regional entrepreneurial ecosystems, making a comparative evaluation of them and strengthening the role of the Greek Universities in regional entrepreneurial ecosystems. Firstly, the theoretical approaches of regional entrepreneurial ecosystems as well as the role of Universities in Regional Development are examined and analyzed. Secondly, it is attempted to record the role of the Greek Universities through the collection and processing of innovation information and actions, utilizing, as a case study, the structures of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Units. Thirdly, taking into account the results of the research, proposals for the national and regional policy are made.