Factors Affecting the Formation of the Technology-based Academic Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (Case study: Technical Faculties of the University of Tehran)

This research has been carried out to identify the effective factors in the formation of the technology-based entrepreneurship ecosystem in the technical faculties of the University of Tehran.

First, by reviewing the extant literature, the effective factors in the formation of the technology-based academic entrepreneurship ecosystem were identified. Then, the collected items were completed by conducting in-depth and exploratory interviews with 17 specialists and experts in the research community. Using an open and axial coding method, nine main factors affecting the formation of the technology-based university entrepreneurship ecosystem were obtained. By distributing paired questionnaires among experts and with the help of the structural-interpretive modeling method, the components of the model were configured in six levels.

A six-level model was developed. The first level included the infrastructure components of entrepreneurship ecosystem development, policy and management of financial resources, intensity and level of design preparation, development and commercialization, creation and development of supporting institutions, and business development in the region. The second level included the university policy and rules component.  The market component stood in the third level. The fourth level embraced the economic factors and the business environment. The fifth level included the governance factors and the last level included the cultural component of the academic technological entrepreneurship ecosystem. It was also shown that the cultural component is the most influential factor and the infrastructure components of entrepreneurship ecosystem development, policy, and financial resource management, intensity and level of preparation for design, development, and commercialization, creation and development of supporting institutions, and business development in the region were the most effective factors in the formation of the technology-based academic entrepreneurship ecosystem in the University of Tehran.

The development of entrepreneurial culture and spirit is the base of the formation of the university entrepreneurship ecosystem. Relying on technology, it can be implemented by applying correct policies and competent management at both micro and macro levels.