PurposeThe purpose of this study is to analyze the entrepreneurial intentions of higher education students in a private higher education institution (HEI), enrolled in the following courses: Business Management, Hospitality Management, Tourism and Business Relations.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative methodology was used through the application of a questionnaire in a private HEI located in the northern region of Portugal and 228 valid responses were collected.FindingsWe have found out that (1) the elder the students are, the higher is the probability that they will consider entrepreneurship as the first option to enter the job market; (2) the courses of Business Management and Hotel Management are those that influence the entrepreneurial intentions most positively; (3) the more prepared a student feels in order to start a business, the more likely he will become an entrepreneur; (4) to consider entrepreneurship as the first option to enter the job market is positively influenced by the dimensions of the Attitude Toward Enterprise (ATE), namely, leadership, creativity, achievement and personal control; (5) to have a business idea could be motivated by the course in which the students are enrolled in, if they feel they are prepared to start a business, and by the dimensions of ATE.Practical implicationsHEIs and/or regional governments may have an entrepreneurship support office, where students can get assistance in the process of creating their companies and develop innovative entrepreneurial models adapted to older students. The creation of “senior entrepreneurial ecosystems” can be an interesting path to be explored. HEIs can make extracurricular activities available to students. Policymakers must introduce entrepreneurship to primary and secondary education.Originality/valueThis study increases the understanding of the individual characteristics of the students in a private HEI, as well as the courses that positively influence entrepreneurial intentions.

The present study aims to investigate how commercialisation and knowledge transfer between the SMEs of the tourism sector and the higher education institutions (HEIs) are made, as well as to find out whether the SMEs of the tourism sector are part of tourism networks, and what their motivations are. We used a qualitative methodology, applying the triangulation method to eight SMEs and one HEI. The results indicate that the commercialisation and knowledge transfer between the SMEs and the HEIs are not effective. SMEs are part of regional networks of business innovation; however, they do not participate in R&D activities with HEIs. Some suggestions were made to SMEs, HEIs, and regional governments to speed up commercialisation and knowledge transfer in the tourism sector. We adapted the Triple Helix Model to the tourism sector, thus creating the “Triple Helix in the Tourism Context”. Only a few studies have researched knowledge commercialisation in the tourism sector, a gap that this article aims to compensate.

Purpose: Interaction through the use of social media, smartphones, and online games is increasingly growing. Regarding games, it is estimated that part of the population spends more than 12 hours a week in interactions provided by online games. In this context, the objective of the present research is to study and deepen the connection between co-creation and gamification applied to the services sector. Originality/value: This research aims to contribute to the gap reduction in the existing literature in the areas of gamification and co-creation applied to the services sector. The fact that the research is applied to a peripheral region of Europe and to a different business sector contributes to a better understanding of the relationship established between gamified co-creation and the business sector in these types of regions. It also helps companies in the process of developing and implementing new strategies. Design/methodology/approach: By using a qualitative methodology, seven interviews were carried out in different companies located in Portugal and operating in the services sector. Findings: This research will allow a better understanding of the Portuguese business world and if this corporate environment is ready to work with new methodologies. It was possible to point out some good practices related to the implementation of a gamified co-creation methodology, as well as to provide an alert for the negative aspects that may arise when working under this approach. Companies acknowledge that the adoption of a gamified co-creation methodology brings some advantages and increases their competitiveness levels in the market.