How to create a start-up dynamic in academia

I moved into academia after founding a successful software company, so I appreciate the symbiotic relationship between start-ups and universities. Coming from the fast-paced world of software and services, involving international business collaborations, internal HR challenges and team building, I learned that fostering a start-up culture within a university setting can drive innovation and entrepreneurial spirit.

Creating a supportive ecosystem is crucial. In the software industry, innovation hubs serve as centres where ideas flourish, resources are abundant and mentorship is readily available. These hubs facilitate the cross-pollination of ideas between local and international business partners, ensuring a global perspective on innovation. Access to funding plays a pivotal role — software companies often thrive through seed funding, venture capital and strategic grants.

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We can translate this model to academia. Establishing education innovation hubs and programme incubators creates dedicated spaces for students, staff and academics to collaborate on groundbreaking educational programmes and provides them with access to necessary resources, mentorship and crucial networking opportunities. Just like in the software industry, these hubs can facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration and share best practices. 

Build collaborative spaces

To do this, we started by creating a collaborative space on campus where students, staff and faculty can come together to brainstorm and develop new educational programmes. This can be either a physical or virtual space. This space should be well-equipped with the latest technology and designed to foster open communication and teamwork. 

We then established structured mentorship programmes that connect participants with industry professionals and experienced educators, and organised regular networking events, workshops and seminars, facilitating idea exchange and valuable connections. We often used programme graduates, as well as recommendations from our existing students, as to who should run and facilitate the workshops.

Interdisciplinarity for innovation

Another important step is to promote interdisciplinary projects at the executive level of the university. By forming and promoting teams with diverse expertise, great results happen in educational initiatives. This approach, similar to the software industry’s collaboration across different skill sets, can lead to more impactful and creative outcomes. To make this approach grow, implement systems for sharing best practices and lessons learned to continually drive innovation and improvement. Have your teams report out at faculty meetings and to the boards. 

Encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration is a key cornerstone for innovation. By initiating cross-departmental projects, such as those between criminal justice and marketing, history and computer science, or biology and design, we can unite diverse perspectives that often lead to groundbreaking solutions. These collaborations, while not always obvious at first, can drive the development of innovative educational programmes and research initiatives. To support these efforts, organising interdisciplinary workshops and seminars connects faculty and students from various fields, further sparking creative ideas. 

Additionally, drawing from my experience in software and services, integrating team-building exercises and addressing internal HR issues within these projects can significantly enhance collaboration and productivity. Together, these strategies foster an environment ripe for transformative educational advancements.

Get staff on board

To involve academic staff, create opportunities that align with their research interests and professional goals. Encourage faculty to participate by offering incentives such as research grants, teaching credits and public recognition for their contributions. Highlight the potential for interdisciplinary projects to enhance their research portfolios and open new avenues for funding and publication. Facilitate networking events and workshops where faculty can meet potential collaborators from different departments.

Integrating entrepreneurship into the curriculum, through offering specialised courses and practical experiences such as internships and projects with industry partners, bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application. Celebrating successes through recognition programmes and showcase events further nurtures this culture, as does providing technical and administrative support to navigate the often complex path of educational programme development.

Take the leap

One of the most valuable lessons from my start-up experience is fostering a culture of risk-taking and learning. Experimentation and failure can drive innovation and resilience, as long as we value the lessons learned in the process. To do this, regular feedback mechanisms can help staff to refine their ideas and approaches. 

The wider entrepreneurial ecosystem can also provide support here, so form partnerships with industry and accelerators, and leverage alumni networks.

Supportive policies and administrative structures within the university are essential. Implementing flexible working arrangements and establishing clear intellectual property policies can encourage staff involvement in entrepreneurial ventures. By integrating these strategies, universities can cultivate an environment where innovation thrives, allowing staff, faculty and students to move quickly, make mistakes and ultimately drive impactful change. This blend of start-up dynamism and academic rigour can propel universities to the forefront of technological and educational advancement.

Deborah Sepich is associate professor of marketing and management and director of the MBA programme at CSU Global.

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