University-Business Cooperation and Entrepreneurship at Universities – An Empirical Based Comparison of Poland and Germany

Abstract

SummaryThe EU's growth strategy for the coming decade (recorded and defined by Horizon2020) and the higher education modernisation agenda force all European countries to establish a more connected and better functioning relationship between the three most important players government, business and higher education institutions (HEI's) in order to increase employment, productivity and social cohesion.This article explores the development of University-Business Cooperation (UBC) both in Poland and in Germany, shining a spotlight on the various factors influencing UBC, as well as providing a comparison of the two countries. The focus lays on a Polish-German comparison i.e. the compared analyses of the state of UBC in Germany and Poland from the perspective of HEI managers and researchers.Applying a UBC-ecosystem of different factors and action levels (http://ub-cooperation.eu/pdf/ UBCECO.pdf) the major differences of both countries are identified, addressed and commented to offer opportunities for improvements.

Effectiveness of entrepreneurial universities: experiences and challenges in digital era (a systemic approach)

“…The results provide both a conceptual understanding and an empirical overview of how universities organize their technology transfer and intellectual property management [30]. [31] Germany and Poland 2 countries This article explores the development of University-Business Cooperation (UBC) both in Poland and in Germany, shining a spotlight on the various factors influencing UBC, as well as providing a comparison of the two countries [31]. [32] Spain and Ireland…”

Entrepreneurial ecosystems in Poland: panacea, paper tiger or Pandora’s box?

“…As a country, Poland has undergone a period of major economic transformation over the past 25 years, during which time the economy has been subject to technological upgrading through its exposure to free market international competition (Baaken et al, 2015). The empirical focus of the study is Poland, a Central European country with a population of 38m people, a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of $29,600 (GEM, 2019).…”

“…The movement of graduates from the state and technical universities in cities such as Kraków, Gdańsk and Warsaw into business process outsourcing (BPOs) and low-skill jobs means that the human capital of the regions is being directed into lower skilled jobs rather than those driving the economic growth agenda laid out by national and regional government. Baaken et al (2015) highlight the developing relationships and networks between private industry, universities and regional governments, which represents an important hook for policy makers in promoting entrepreneurship-led economic development. Indeed, in all three locations, the collaboration between universities, industry and regional government was highly visible and promoted as a medium to encourage a more cohesive ecosystem.…”

Entrepreneurial University and Business Education: Towards a Network Model

“…EU has not a common definition yet: it is a complex and abstract topic. The knowledge society has challenged the traditional concept of university based on several characteristics, such as: the social mission, traditional principles, independence of investigations and academic community (Olearnik and Pluta-Olearnik, 2015).…”

“…According to Olearnik and Pluta-Olearnik (2015), universities have to comply with four entrepreneurship attributes of institutions: economic orientation, that refers to financial efficiency of the activities pursued; market orientation, as significant criterion for developmental decisions in market mechanism; innovative orientation, that is a core factor for institutions of higher education; and managerial orientation, related to business rules and management methods applied in enterprises. Etzkowitz, 2013 Universities that becomes driver of innovation and entrepreneurship activities Autio et al, 2014 University that tries to provide a supportive environment, in which the university community can explore, evaluate and exploit ideas that could be transformed into social and economic entrepreneurial initiatives Guerrero et al, 2014 University that pursues economic orientation, market orientation innovative orientation and managerial orientation Olearnik and Pluta-Olearnik, 2015 Source: adapted by Schmitz et al, 2016. Some studies (Kirby et al, 2011) have recognized key factors and actions that facilitate the development of the EU mode (see table 2). Universities need to select forms of entrepreneurial activity that can optimize the impact of university on economic development (Philpott et al, 2011).…”