Strategies for the Creation and Maintenance of Entrepreneurial Universities

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) around the world are being pressured to become more entrepreneurial. However, the concept of an entrepreneurial university has remained elusive, including ideas that range from supporting students and staff with new ventures to encouraging partnerships between academics and entrepreneurs. New research is needed on strategies and practices that can be implemented by universities in order to become more innovative and supportive. Strategies for the Creation and Maintenance of Entrepreneurial Universities uses findings from a major EU-funded five country project (THEI2.0) focused on enhancing the implementation and impact of the EU-OECD's HEInnovate tool to offer valuable strategies to help universities become more entrepreneurial, especially in the current COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 environments. This book's core value lies in the fact that it draws on real experiences and practices of those in this field, articulates key takeaway messages, and suggests potential strategies and actions to create impact. Covering topics such as campus incubation, policy strategies, and regional development, this book acts as an essential resource for senior academic leaders, academic managers, entrepreneurship/entrepreneurial educators, incubation center managers, technology transfer managers, researchers, students, and administrators seeking to make their university more entrepreneurial, maintain their entrepreneurial status, critically reflect on their current level of entrepreneurialism, explore new opportunities to enhance their entrepreneurial reputation, or implement strategies to consolidate their entrepreneurial endeavors within the current challenging environment.

Colette Henry , PhD, BA, MBA, is Head of Department of Business Studies, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Ireland, and Adjunct Professor, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia. Her previous roles include Norbrook Professor of Business & Enterprise (Royal Veterinary College, London), and President of the Institute for Small Business & Entrepreneurship (ISBE, UK). She is founder and Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship. She has published widely on entrepreneurship education and training, gender and entrepreneurship, creative industries and veterinary business. She has written over 50 journal articles, and written/edited 14 books. She is founder and chair of the Global Women's Entrepreneurship Policy (WEP) Research network. In 2015 she received the Diana International Research Project Trailblazer Award for her work on gender and entrepreneurship, and in 2017 she received the Sten K Johnson European Entrepreneurship Education Award from Lund University, Sweden. Colette is a Fellow of the Institute for Small Business & Entrepreneurship, the Higher Education Academy and the Academy of Social Sciences.

Bárbara Filipa Casqueira Coelho Gabriel , PhD, holds a doctorate in Mechanical Engineering, with a Masters in Electronic Engineering and Telecommunications. She has extensive experience in teaching and learning in Higher Education, with expertise in the business sector. She is a researcher in the field of innovation, entrepreneurial teaching and learning, engineering education and nanoengineering as applied to Manufacturing for Circular Economy and Innovative Technology for Intelligent Cities. She is also the Coordinator of the Science and Engineering Education R&D Group at the University of Aveiro and a member of the Rectory Support Team for Curricular and Pedagogic Innovation. Barbara leads the ERASMUS+ funded THEI2.0 project: From Assessment to Action.

Klaus Sailer , PhD, is Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Munich University of Applied Sciences and CEO of the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE). He is a co-founder and board member of the Social Entrepreneurship Akademie and is also on the board of Munich Network. Klaus is a spokesman for the think tank “Denkfabrik Gründerhochschulen” and part of the think tank HEInnovate. His gained his PhD (Physics) from Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. In 2000, he co-founded a communication technologies company with partners in the area and successfully established the company as a major market player. His research interests are in innovation processes, business modelling, networking, co-creation and societal innovation.

Ester Bernadó-Mansilla , PhD, is the Director of the Polytechnic School at Tecnocampus (Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Spain. She holds degrees in Technical Engineering in Telecommunications, and in Electronics Engineering, as well as a doctorate in Computer Engineering from Ramon Llull University. She also has a postgraduate degree in Direction and Management (Jo Directiva) from Esade and is an accredited professional coach. In 2009 she received recognition for research accreditation from AQU. She is an expert in machine learning and data science and has participated and directed several projects in the field of basic and applied research. Ester is part of the National Expert HEInnovate Facilitators Group, and participates in co-creation projects for the design of services and products aimed at citizens from the field of social innovation. She has published widely on educational innovation and has taught courses on software engineering and programming, artificial intelligence, data analytics, creativity and entrepreneurship. She has held various academic management positions including Programme Director for the Degree in Video Game Design and Production (Tecnocampus), Director of International Relations (Tecnocampus), and Director of the Consolidated Research Group on Intelligent Systems and Director of the Software Engineering Area (Ramon Llull University).

Katja Lahikainen , D.Sc. (Econ. & Bus. Adm.), is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management at LUT University, Finland. Her research focuses on the development of university-based entrepreneurship ecosystems and entrepreneurial universities. Additionally, she holds a position of project manager and coordinates national and international development projects related to entrepreneurship promotion in universities. She has a long work history in various support service functions at LUT University (until 2017), most lately in innovation and enterprising services. Katja Lahikainen has also participated in the development and implementation of an action plan for entrepreneurship at LUT University. Currently she lectures in the master’s courses ‘Entrepreneurship policy and promotion’, and ‘Start-ups and venture formation’.