Academic entrepreneurship is of increasing importance because of the changing role of universities in knowledge based economies, according to University of Ulster lecturer, Mike Brennan who receives his PhD at Jordanstown this week.

Mike broke new ground with his doctoral research project which focused on the role of universities as facilitators of academic entrepreneurship and in encouraging academics to consider starting new businesses.

“Despite its importance for the economic development of Northern Ireland, little is really understood about the sorts of challenges to be faced to make this happen.

“Knowledge production and creation are keys to defining an organisation’s or indeed region’s competitive advantage. However entrepreneurial behaviour is seen by some people to be at odds with the more conservative character of universities,” says Mike.

“How the consequent tensions between the different supporters of each approach are managed depends on the credentials of the institution as an entrepreneurial institution itself,” says Mike.

He notes that any commitment to developing such a corporate entrepreneurial culture recognised the capacity of university structures and processes to act either as enablers or barriers to the entrepreneurship agenda.

Mike’s thesis, ‘Academic Entrepreneurship: a case study’ has attracted the attention of numerous research communities both across Europe and the United States and he has published widely from this work.

Mike is a lecturer in Strategic Management in the School of Marketing and Entrepreneurship and Course Director of the School’s Masters degree in Innovation and Enterprise.

For further information, please contact:

David Young
Telephone: 028 90366074
Email: David Young