Supporting Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Higher Education in Italy

Abstract

Entrepreneurship and innovation are key drivers of inclusive growth and social cohesion. This is why it is important that higher education systems and institutions strategically develop innovative and entrepreneurial approaches towards education, research and engagement with stakeholders, and act as catalysts of these processes.Many higher education institutions have a solid foundation on which they can build and develop new initiatives, often due to the pioneering role of individuals. However, scaling up entrepreneurial and innovative initiatives, and promoting and sustained change at institutional level, is a multi-dimensional effort. It requires adopting new rules and practices on resource allocation, staff incentives, continuous professional development, and the creation of strategic partnerships -locally, nationally and globally. It cannot happen unless higher education institutions include engagement with business and communities in their core functions. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  11 SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN ITALY © OECD/EUROPEAN UNION 2019Members of the steering group of this review, which was chaired by Angelo Riccaboni from the University-Business Observatory, also provided key insights and comments reflected in this review. Theses members include

Fostering Students Entrepreneurship through Digital Platforms

“…Therefore, it is expected that universities play a central role in nurturing entrepreneurship through knowledge creation (entrepreneurship and management research) and knowledge dissemination (entrepreneurship education and training). In addition, leading universities provide hands-on support for young entrepreneurs and promote entrepreneurship culture, emphasizing their role and contribution, especially in the European environment [3,9,10]. We acknowledge worldwide experience and progress; however, the geographical position of our country aligns us mostly with the initiatives of European institutions and universities.…”

“…Contribution of Universities Alliance [8] in creation and growth of new enterprises through research, education, and entrepreneurship support is expanded on different countries and industry sectors in the form of successful projects. Furthermore, surveys and studies from the UK [14], Italy, Denmark [10], USA [4], and other countries underline that entrepreneurship courses and programs encourage the entrepreneurial intentions of students [14]. Entrepreneurship education has a positive impact on students' ability to achieve objectives, build relationships, as well as on problem-solving abilities [15].…”

“…The impact of EE on the economy is multifaceted: more companies established, increased number of successful ventures, more people employed, more revenues, and higher activity in innovative sectors [4,9,16]. HEIs promoting students' entrepreneurial capabilities may contribute to reduce skills mismatches in labor markets [1,10], which is nowadays a concern for many countries.…”

“…The main, general contribution EE has in society is through knowledge exchange and collaboration, as universities establish connections within ecosystems. Beyond teaching and research, which are the two primary missions, the third mission of HEIs is defined as the stimulation, direct application, and exploitation of knowledge for the benefit of the social, cultural, and economic development of society [10,17]. In other words, the contribution of educational institutions in transferring knowledge to industry and encouraging innovation goes to the benefit of the entire society.…”

“…Academia and practitioners accept that early evaluation of original business ideas and estimating their probability of success is difficult, even for university business incubators [4][5][30][31]. Attempts have been made to identify or develop semi-automatic judgement methods and means that can quickly and accurately, within certain limits, provide an estimation of the business idea' success [10,30]. Digital platforms are amongst these means.…”