The Impact of University Research and Innovation Ecosystem on Technological Entrepreneurship with Emphasis on Academic Entrepreneurship

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Rural Development, Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan, Mollasani, Iran.

2 Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran.

Abstract

Technological Entrepreneurship, defined as the process of identifying opportunities and providing access to resources for technology-based ventures, contributes to increased competitiveness, productivity, and value creation by strengthening academic entrepreneurship. This research investigates the development of technological entrepreneurship using university research and the innovation ecosystem, with a particular focus on the mediating role of academic entrepreneurship. The statistical population included the managers and owners of 200 active technology cores and units at the agricultural universities of Khuzestan, Sari, and Gorgan, from which a sample of 127 individuals was selected using stratified random sampling. Data were collected through a researcher-made online questionnaire, and its content validity was confirmed by professors in the field of Agricultural Extension and Education. Reliability was confirmed using Cronbach's Alpha, Composite Reliability (CR), and Average Variance Extracted (AVE). Additionally, discriminant validity was assessed using the Fornell-Larcker criterion and the Heterotrait-Monotrait Ratio (HTMT < 0.85), which demonstrated the model's adequacy. Descriptive analyses were conducted using SPSSv26 software, while Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) approach was executed in Smart PLS 3.0 software. The findings of this research indicated that university research and the innovation ecosystem have a positive and significant effect on both academic entrepreneurship and technological entrepreneurship. Furthermore, academic entrepreneurship plays a vital role in the development of technological entrepreneurship. Therefore, to enhance the effectiveness of knowledge transfer into wealth, it is essential that university research be aligned with the technological needs of society and industry, and that the legal and financial infrastructures of incubators be strengthened. Furthermore, mandatory entrepreneurship education in all university disciplines is recommended to empower academics toward technology commercialization.

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History

  • Receive Date: 18 October 2025
  • Revise Date: 28 October 2025
  • Accept Date: 29 October 2025

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