Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Minitrack Chairs
- Prof Soulla Louca - Dept. of Digital Innovation University of Nicosia, Louca.s@unic.ac.cy
- Prof Nicholas Nicoli - Dept. of Communications University of Nicosia, Nicoli.n@unic.ac.cy
The minitrack on Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship examines the dynamic interplay between digital technologies and entrepreneurial ventures. It focuses on how digital innovations transform business models, reduce barriers to entry, and enable access to global markets. By leveraging tools suchas cloud computing, e-commerce platforms, and big data analytics, blockchain technology, IoT, AI, etc., entrepreneurs can create novel products and services and enhance decision-making processes. This minitrack welcomes contributions that explore the development of digital ecosystems, where startups and stakeholders collaborate to drive technological advancements. The session is designed for academics, practitioners, and policymakers interested in understanding and harnessing the potential of digital technologies in entrepreneurship. It encourages interdisciplinary contributions from fields like information systems, business management, and innovation studies.
Topics include and are not limited to:
- Facilitation of new ventures through digital technologies.
- Transformation of business models with digital innovation.
- Access to global markets and reduction of barriers to entry.
- Enhancement of decision-making through big data and analytics.
- Creation and development of digital innovation ecosystems.
- Emerging technologies and their impact on business.
- Startup ecosystems and their regional, national, and global contexts.
- Strategies for business model innovation using digital tools.
- Trends in funding and investment for digital ventures.
- Policy and regulation affecting digital innovation.
 Open Submissions |
Peer Reviewed |
Student Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
Minitrack Chairs
- Prof Rosangela Feola - Dept. of Management Innovation Systems, University of Salerno, rfeola@unisa.it
- Dr Chiara Crudele - Dept. of Management Innovation Systems, University of Salerno, chcrudele@unisa.it
Student entrepreneurship has gained increasing attention as a powerful driver of innovation and economic development. Universities, research institutions, investors, incubators, accelerators, and policymakers play a critical role in enabling students to transform ideas into viable ventures, fostering an environment where creativity, knowledge transfer, and business experimentation thrive (Audretsch et al., 2019; Geissler 2013; Walter et al. 2013, Feola et al. 2017). The intersection between student entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ecosystems is particularly relevant in today’s rapidly changing economic and technological landscape, where emerging digital platforms, institutional policies, and cross-sector collaborations shape the way students engage with entrepreneurship.In particular, entrepreneurial ecosystems provide student entrepreneurs with access to crucial resources such as funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities (Stam, 2015; Spigel, 2017). At the same time, student entrepreneurs contribute to the evolution of these ecosystems by introducing fresh ideas, experimenting with new business models, and often driving social and sustainable innovation (Autio et al., 2014; Guerrero et al., 2016). Universities are among the major players in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, capable of generating knowledge and commercializing it through vehicles such as academic spin-offs and student start-ups (Audretsch et al., 2019). They are an environment “integrated by educational programs, infrastructures (incubators, research parks, technology transfer offices, business creation offices, employment offices), university regulations (business creation regulations, property rights), university culture (role models, attitudes toward entrepreneurship) as well as relationships with government, investors, industry and other socio-economic agents" (Guerrero et al. 2020, p. 5). Entrepreneurial universities provide a reference point where students can find resources, knowledge, network, to transform their entrepreneurial habits, attitudes, and behaviors (Busch & Barkema, 2022). In sum, universities, through their incubators, accelerators, and entrepreneurship education programs, act as key catalysts in this process, influencing students' entrepreneurial intentions and their ability to navigate market complexities (Wright et al., 2017; Siegel & Wright, 2015). However, significant challenges remain in bridging the gap between university support and real-world venture success, as well as in ensuring that student-led ventures scale beyond the academic setting and integrate effectively into broader innovation ecosystems.This mini track invites theoretical and empirical contributions that explore the role of student entrepreneurship within entrepreneurial ecosystems, shedding light on how universities, policymakers, industry players, and digital platforms can better support the next generation of entrepreneurs. We encourage interdisciplinary perspectives and novel insights into the mechanisms that enable or hinder student-led venture creation, growth, and sustainability.
This mini track invites research on topics including, but not limited to:
- The role of universities in fostering student entrepreneurship
- University-based incubators, accelerators, and support programs
- Entrepreneurial ecosystems and their impact on student-led ventures
- Platforms supporting student entrepreneurship
- Policies and governance structures for student entrepreneurship development
- The influence of entrepreneurial education on student startup success
- Collaboration between academia, industry, and policymakers in supporting student entrepreneurs
- Challenges and opportunities for scaling student-led ventures
- Comparative studies on student entrepreneurship across different ecosystems
| Open Submissions |
Peer Reviewed |