NEW RESEARCH | Collaboration in the entrepreneurial ecosystem – how to avoid unnecessary tensions

Most universities worldwide act as an innovation engine in the local context. This requires collaboration with, for example, local businesses, organizations and individuals – which often leads to different kinds of tensions. Former Norsi PhD student Giulio Pantano has been studying how collaborations between universities and local communities can run as smoothly as possible.

Congratulations on your dissertation! What have you studied?

– I have studied how modern entrepreneurial universities promote knowledge transfer and regional value creation by engaging their students and researchers in entrepreneurial activities with different societal actors.

– Such collaborations often involve tensions, as those involved have different and sometimes conflicting expectations. Therefore, I have studied how universities take these tensions into account when designing cooperation programs, in order to make them as smooth and effective as possible.

What are the main practical results?

– My PhD project has developed a multilevel analysis that can capture the tensions that can arise. Starting from the premise that value is always co-created, my research emphasizes the necessity for the university to address the ‘value tensions’ that arise within co-creation and to tailor its value propositions accordingly.

– In my research, we have developed a framework for co-creative activities. We have used entrepreneurship education to both stage value tensions and learn how educators respond to tensions when designing their programs.

– The research also contributes to the understanding of the entrepreneurial university by examining functionality as an institution for value creation. The research shows that value creation is both a strategic mission, and of great value to entrepreneurial universities.

Was there anything in your research that surprised you?

– Although governance structures and strategic plans may differ, it is almost always the academic manager who is responsible for ensuring the effectiveness of entrepreneurial partnerships. The role is often different from that of a business developer.

– Governance and strategy need to be an orchestration effort, which is strictly correlated with the local implementation of the collaboration. Being an entrepreneurial university ultimately means a shift from traditional academic governance structures towards a more business and customer-oriented approach. But my research shows that the challenge is in the integration, not just in the shift.

What has the Norsi network meant to you during your doctoral studies?

– Through conferences, I have received solid feedback on two of my articles, and during a course on qualitative methods, I had the opportunity to refine the methodological choices.

– But the most important contribution is the network I have gained through Norsi. PhD students from all over the Nordic region and several well-known entrepreneurship researchers have shown interest in my research and given me valuable feedback.

Contact gipan@dtu.dk

This article is published in cooperation with Norsi.

More about the thesis and Norsi
Giulio Pantano recently completed his PhD at the Technical University of Denmark with the thesis Co-creation in the entrepreneurial university: unraveling systemic value tensions. During his PhD studies, he participated in the Nordic Research School in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Norsi) research network. It is primarily a graduate school for doctoral students in the Nordic countries in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship. Read more about Norsi.

Read also:
5 keys to successful education collaboration between business and academia
Collaborative projects create more impact than other research