The concept of frugal innovation has gained significant traction in low middle-income countries due to its potential to contribute to sustainable development goals (SDGs). This study examines the role of universities in promoting frugal innovation and their capacity to drive socio-economic development through entrepreneurial initiatives. The…

To keep up with rapid evolutions in technical and scientific developments, countries must create competitive dynamics that enable key actors to generate high-tech projects, boosting both a country's productivity and economic development. Higher education institutions (HEIs), with their intellectual capital and as core generators of knowledge, are…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how university-based entrepreneurship programs, incorporating real-life venture creation into educational design and delivery, can bridge the gap between entrepreneurship education and technology transfer within the university environment. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a literature review…

Globally, governments recognize the importance of creativity and innovation for sustainable socioeconomic development, and many invest resources to develop learning environments that foster these capacities. This paper provides a systematic framework based on Nair's "Innovation Helix" model for studying the factors of a country's…

This paper sheds light on the role of tertiary or higher education in economic development across two successful OECD case studies: Finland and South Korea. A number of key aspects are discussed, from the nature of the social contract between higher education and the economy to the endogenous characteristics of domestic higher education to the…

This factsheet, the third in a series on innovation and growth, summarises a recent assessment conducted by Universities UK, HEFCE and the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), exploring the extent to which universities in England are engaging with the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) programme. [For the…

Economic development through technological advancement is a phenomenon that for many decades brought economic prosperity, increased wealth, and (by extension) social change to citizens of the world. However, economists and development specialists have consistently challenged the inequitable distribution of this wealth between the countries of the…

Academic entrepreneurship has become an increasingly important means by which universities can contribute to the economic development of a country. In Italy, universities have produced more than 700 academic spin-off companies in the last ten years. This paper uses case studies to develop an understanding of the key factors that underpin the…

In Less Developed Countries (LDCs), most graduates from higher institutions of learning are absorbed in the informal sector and/or micro and small enterprises. Knowledge development through training, research and experiential learning may lead to creating or discovering new knowledge/technology or creating new value, by applying…

The emerging field of nanotechnology has created a new frontier for the convergence of university and industrial research. In the United States, major federal investments provided a massive boom for this field over the decade. This paper reports on a case study of how the University at Albany came to establish the first college of nanotechnology…

A number of UK universities prioritize economic development or regeneration activities and for some of these universities such activities are the main focus of their knowledge transfer work. This study compares two regions of the UK--the North West and the South East of England--which have very different levels of economic performance.…

Purpose: New approaches to extension service delivery are needed that stimulate increased agricultural production, contribute to collective action and which also foster the emergence of agricultural innovation systems. Research in Peru and Mexico explores some of these new approaches. Design/methodology/approach: In both countries, a qualitative…

Information technology (IT) professionals face markedly different kinds of challenges in developing countries from the ones in developed countries. Based on the research literature and our fourteen years of fieldwork in Iringa, Tanzania, we have identified eight groups of technical characteristics of IT work that significantly affect the work of…

Economic development in South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Ireland has accelerated dramatically since the 1960s, as it has in China more recently. These areas share a common element in their development strategies--the aggressive pursuit, acquisition, and incorporation of knowledge from industrialized nations. In this article, the…

Presented is a case study of a college program focused upon the application of science and technology to development in less developed countries. The activities described are those of the University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture. This program's history, components, problems, and future prospects are discussed in an attempt to learn…