Non-academic users of the Entrepreneurial University
could therefore be helped to
understand and deal with global competitiveness because globalisation requires radical market re-orientation and labour flexibility. Thus, entrepreneurial universities should serve as guideposts to industry on how best to deal with globalisation impacts. The rise of technology and the phenomenon of technology transfer create entrepreneurial opportunities for universities to offer external users: i) Access to science parks, such as Taiwan’s Hsinchu Science-Based Industrial Park; ii) Access to technology, service or management incubators;
iii) Access to innovation hubs4
University in Portugal, the university took on a role of a regional innovation organiser.
. At the Aveiro It
brought industry and municipalities together to work on a regional development strategy.
In
another example, the famed Henry Mintzberg of the Cleghorn University in Canada did valuable work for the Ghana Government on public management and governance issues.
Many times, industry is hard-pressed for R&D
funds. Universities are significant sources of knowledge and capabilities in the Knowledge Economy. Ever since their existence, universities have contributed to decision-making in society, whether directly or indirectly.
The Entrepreneurial University should be associated with:
1) Generation of knowledge; 2) Use of knowledge; 3) Application of knowledge;
4) Application and use of other capabilities and facilities outside academic environments.
Widening the innovation gap?
South African universities have been widely criticised by the Council of Higher Education about the way that third stream or, entrepreneurial, activities cause academic drifts. The predominant criticism is that universities view short courses as the only valid means of third stream revenue. From the view of the Council of Higher Education, universities see short courses as lucrative cash cows – often aimed toward the personal enrichment of those who lecture short courses. This emphasis on short courses being cash generators is seen as
96 Management Today | September 2012
one of the main reasons why universities show downward trends in research output.
The Entrepreneurial University concept in
South Africa is still in its infancy. Much has to be learned about how third income streams or entrepreneurial activities at South African Universities could actually help to promote this country’s innovation agenda.
In cases where
there are attempts to be part of the innovation agenda in South Africa, efforts seem to be loosely coordinated. There is a strong sense that the outward engagement with industry is not considered as an important point on the agenda of academia.
It is clear that there does not seem to be significant support from academia to act as catalysts to innovation. First, if short courses are seen as the only proverbial low-hanging fruit that could rapidly fill pockets, it is not surprising that research becomes a low-priority motive. Second, the classic time argument perpetuates as an excuse not to become involved in innovation support or research. Third, there is little or no evidence at this point that senior faculty actually work closely with industry to accelerate innovation output in this country. Fourth, the current motives associated with short courses will perpetuate the argument that there is not sufficient subject matter for research that flow out of short course interventions.
An innovator’s expectations Data from the South African Reserve bank and from academics that specialise in the teaching of entrepreneurship in South Africa suggest that:
1) 96% of all business activity is in the hands of entrepreneurs – specifically SMMEs; 2) 36% of the country’s National GDP is generated by SMME’s.
From the above it could reasonably be argued that entrepreneurs hold the key to innovative thinking. Yet, not many ideas generated by entrepreneurs are eventually commercialised. In the author’s experience with innovators, one in seven ideas actually moves to the next gate in the classic innovation funnel. A number of factors constrain innovators to take their ideas to the so called next level. Factors include but are not limited to:
The Innovation Journal
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