What makes a University Entrepreneurial?

Dr Clive Winters

Assistant Director, Coventry University Enterprises Ltd

Overview

• Introduction to Coventry University – Location, History

– Mission / Vision

• Entrepreneurial University – Institutional Environment

– Student Engagement

– Innovative and Entrepreneurial Staff

– Entrepreneurial Impact

Coventry University: Introduction

• Our Location (1): Coventry is located in the West Midlands, the heart of England, with excellent road, rail and air links to the rest of the country - central London is just 60 minutes away by train.

• Coventry University has its main campus in the City along with Coventry University College, Coventry University Enterprises Ltd and ACUA Ltd.

• Our Location (2): Coventry University London Campus was established in 2010 and is based in the central London location of Devonshire Square.

Coventry University: Introduction

• History dating back to 1843

– Coventry College of Design

– Private sector funded, Focussed on manufacturing industries

• Lanchester Polytechnic in 1970

– Coventry College of Art, Lanchester College of Technology, Rugby College of Engineering Technology

• Coventry Polytechnic in 1987

• Coventry University in 1992

– Modern University, Full teaching and research degree awarding powers

Coventry University: Introduction

• Our Mission: We aspire to be a dynamic, global, enterprising university. We work in partnership with external organisations through our research and engage our students as partners in a community of learning.

• Our Faculties: Faculty of Business, Environment and Society, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, faculty of Engineering and Computing, School of Art and Design

• Our Students: Full time – 17,760, Part Time – 10,175, Postgraduate - 2,220

The Entrepreneurial University of the Year

Sponsored by the National Centre for Entrepreneurship Education - recognises institutions that have embedded entrepreneurial activity into their Institution:

• Fosters enterprising thinking among all members of its community

• Delivers significant entrepreneurial impact at regional, national and international levels.

• 2008 / 09: University of Nottingham

• 2009 / 10: Queen’s University Belfast

• 2010 / 11: University of Hertfordshire

• 2011 / 12: Coventry University

• 2012 / 13: University of Huddersfield

Entrepreneurial University: Award Criteria

1. Institutional Environment

a. How has the university transformed its culture to provide environments conducive for supporting student enterprise and graduate entrepreneurship?

b. How is institutional leadership for driving enterprise and entrepreneurship throughout the institution demonstrated?

2. Student Engagement

a. How are students and graduates demonstrating their ability to apply the enterprising and entrepreneurial mindsets and behaviours learnt through their university experiences?

b. How has the student experience enhanced a positive attitude towards enterprise and entrepreneurship as a career and life choice?

Entrepreneurial University: Award Criteria

3. Innovative and Entrepreneurial Staff

a. How have staff demonstrated innovation and growth in their approach to the design and delivery of the institution’s enterprise and entrepreneurship offerings?

b. How are staff incentivised and rewarded for developing excellence in enterprise and entrepreneurship practice?

4. Entrepreneurial Impact

a. What impact has the institution had on the entrepreneurial outcomes of staff, students and graduates?

b. What step-change has been achieved in the delivery of regional and national entrepreneurship goals?

c. What enterprise and entrepreneurship good practice and effectiveness has been demonstrated?

d. In what ways has the institution’s experiences influenced policy and practice in the wider environment?

Entrepreneurial University: Institutional Environment (1)

• Leadership: Deputy Vice Chancellor for Business Development overseeing all academic – industrial cooperation activity

• Physical Environment: Creating a ‘home for entrepreneurship, new facilities include ‘the hub’ the location for the Institute of Applied Entrepreneurship, London Campus, Coventry University College and a new home for the faculty of Engineering and Computing.

• Student Entrepreneurial Fund: Supported by the Sir John Egan, the Chancellor of the University, the fund has provided £300k from benefactors to allow our students to ‘pitch’ for enterprise investment.

Entrepreneurial University: Institutional Environment (2)

• Applied Research Activity: Focussed on the global economic environment and delivering real world solutions to clients

• Seven key global issues – the Grand Challenges – have been identified where applied research is needed and where the University’s expertise can have a significant impact.

– Integrated Transport and logistics

– Low Carbon Vehicles

– Low Impact Buildings

– Digital Media

– Ageing Society

– Sustainable Agriculture and Food

– Human Security

Entrepreneurial University: Institutional Environment (3)

• Applied Research Institutes: Through its institutes, the University provides high quality buildings and facilities to support staff and partners undertaking applied research activities. The aim of each institute is to create an environment which supports a unique combination of commercial activity and academic applied research:

– Serious Games Institute

– Health Design Technologies Institute

– Institute for Creative Enterprise

– Institute of Applied Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurial University: Student Engagement

• Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Support: Enterprise scholarships awarded annually to over 20 students. Student entrepreneurship support programme (SPEED) providing grants, mentoring support and office space for over 30 students per year.

• Student Led Activities: Operation Husky – a 24 hour business mentoring event. Engagement with Tabeisa linking social enterprise activity between the UK and South Africa. Student Enterprise Society

• Entrepreneurial Teaching: Access to entrepreneurial learning through the University’s Add+vantage module scheme

Entrepreneurial University: Innovative and Entrepreneurial Staff

• Staff Ideas: Staff ideas competition generating 44 ideas worth £4.4m

• Performance Review: Formal performance review process encourages entrepreneurial behaviour and supports and rewards staff who are enterprising.

• Staff Development: Encouragement for staff to develop their entrepreneurial management capability through participation in Entrepreneurial University Leadership Courses.

Entrepreneurial University: Entrepreneurial Impact

• Coventry University makes a significant impact, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally

– We a registered European Business Innovation Centre helping 300 businesses start-up

– We are working with almost 9,500 SMEs (37% of the total number working with UK Universities in 2009 / 10)

– Coventry is ranked 1st for the number of consultancy contracts it completes on behalf of SMEs

– We are in the top five for the number of consultancy contracts with large commercial organisations.

Entrepreneurial University: Impact

• Hosted knowledge exchanges with UK, European and International Universities

• Working internationally in Oman, Nigeria, Romania and Bulgaria on the implementation of business incubation and innovation systems.

• National and European projects that focus on innovation including:

– the Innovation University Enterprise Network that has a focus on open innovation, and

– the European University Enterprise Network designed to enhance partnerships between business and higher education.

“It was clear from all the staff interviewed that an entrepreneurial culture permeates at all levels of Coventry University.

“A combination of interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial institutes, physical developments, strong leadership, exciting international activity and lively

engagement by staff and students provided the basis for selecting Coventry for this award.”

David Frost, Executive Chairman,

National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education