From the ivory tower to the business world: The multi-level framework of academic entrepreneurship in Hungary (Project supported by the NKKP STARTING grant program, project ID: 153024, 4-year research)
Principal investigator:
Source: freepik
Summary and objectives of the research
The aim of the research is to explore the factors that facilitate or hinder the creation of academic enterprises in Hungary. An academic enterprise is defined as an endeavor in which university or research institute employees attempt to exploit their research results on a commercial basis, for example in the form of innovative products or services. These enterprises form a bridge between science and the economy and contribute to regional development.
During the research, we will develop a new model (A–3M model) that systematizes the factors influencing the success of academic ventures at the individual, university, and external environment levels. We will first build the model based on international examples, then tailor it to Hungarian conditions with the help of interviews. Finally, we will use a questionnaire-based survey to test which factors play what role in entrepreneurial willingness. We also pay special attention to how educators and researchers think about entrepreneurship, what mental barriers they face, and the extent to which digital technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence) and sustainability are present in such ventures.
The results provide practical assistance to policymakers, universities, and researchers in developing the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The research will be conducted at the Center for Excellence in Economics (GKK) at the University of Pécs. The project will start on January 1, 2026, and run until December 31, 2029, with a total of 86.736 million forints in funding available for its implementation. The research will be led by Dr. Éva Somogyiné Komlósi. Miklós Madár, PhD student at the PTE KTK Doctoral School of Regional Policy and Economics, research assistant, and Tímea Szigeti, PhD student at the PTE KTK Doctoral School of Management, also research assistant, are participating in the work.