According to the GEM Ireland Report (2009), those who have exposure to entrepreneurship education in Ireland have an increased propensity to start a new venture. The importance of entrepreneurial skills was picked up by the European Union which, in its Lisbon Strategy of March 2000, declared its objective of transforming Europe into the most…

University-industry relationships can bring significant benefits to the university, the company and the individual researcher, but there is also the potential for risks to all parties. This paper presents the potential rewards and risks from university-industry relationships and the related opportunities for economic growth and job creation. The…

The small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) sector has been widely recognized as an engine of economic growth in South Africa. The implementation of the National Small Business Strategy (NSBS) in 1995 established important objectives for the sector to address such problems as lack of access to markets and procurement, lack of access to finance…

It is suggested that the value of projected cuts in UK higher education spending should be redirected to fund start-up entrepreneurial universities as part of a strategy for knowledge-based economic growth. Two specific elements of academic entrepreneurial redesign are outlined: the Professor of Practice, linking university and industry through…

This paper first examines key differences between the traditional approaches of the USA and Italy in relation to innovation and entrepreneurship. The authors then turn to the specific example of southern Italy, which has experienced higher rates of unemployment, lower US investment and fewer educational and cultural exchanges than the rest of the…

In an attempt to diversify the economy and stimulate private enterprise development, government agencies and private institutions in many countries have emphasized the importance of setting up and developing small and medium-size enterprises and promoting entrepreneurship. An important question confronting policy makers, however, is how they can…

This paper examines the potential and actual contributions to regional development and growth that UK higher education institutions can make through their "third mission" activities. The authors adopt a case study approach and qualitative methods to analyze the details of academic activities, especially those related to business sectors…

As important current and increasing future sources of innovative economic initiatives, universities are unavoidably confronted by the challenging issues of sustainability and quality of life. The harmonization of social and economic goals will impact very significantly on their innovative activities in relation to both processes and outcomes.…

Worldwide, innovation policy is perceived to be at the heart of economic growth and global competitiveness, and nations invest vast amounts of money to give effect to innovation. Higher education institutions, in partnership with industry, are expected to play a key role in supporting the national system of innovation and developing the nation's…

This article is an edited version of an address by Abdul Waheed Khan to a Special Convocation at Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi, on 4 January 2005. Professor Khan identifies major societal trends and likely future developments, with particular reference to India. He argues that knowledge will play a central role in shaping economic growth,…

Perceived as important contributors to economic growth, network and cluster groups are currently receiving much attention. The same may be said of SMEs. But practical and theoretical perspectives indicate that SMEs, and particularly the owner-managers, place little value on networks and have only limited networking resources. Consequently, they do…

The authors present a conceptual framework that is considered useful for investment studies and consultancy activities on international technology transfer (ITT). Thoroughly elaborated investment studies--by which possible risks and constraints can be identified--can provide valuable support to decision makers in an ITT project. There appears to…

Two major initiatives are in place in Wales that aim to create a strong and internationally competitive small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector. These are the Technology Exploitation Programme (TEP) and the Centres of Excellence for Technology and Industrial Collaboration (CETIC) programme. The Materials Centre of Excellence at the…