THE ROLE OF UNIVERSITIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEMS
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to provide a theoretical justification and systematic analysis of the role of universities in the development of innovative entrepreneurial ecosystems, taking into account current trends in knowledge transfer, stakeholder interaction, and the formation of an innovative economy. The relevance of the topic is determined by the urgent need to create effective innovative environments, where universities perform a key function of knowledge generation, transfer, and commercialization, which contributes to increasing the competitiveness of the national economy, and also ensures the integration of inter-sectoral and inter-regional interactions. The research methodology included a systematic analysis of scientific sources, a comparative study of international practices, and an empirical analysis of the Ukrainian economic environment based on data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM, 2024–2025) and modern publications on entrepreneurial ecosystems in higher education. The results of the study showed that universities play the role of central actors capable of forming support networks, accumulating creative resources of students and researchers, stimulating cooperation with business and local communities, contributing to the development of innovative projects and commercialization of knowledge. It was established that university training and research programs are integrated with stakeholder networks, ensuring self-regulated coordination, supporting innovations and adapting to environmental changes, and also contributing to the transformation of state strategies for economic development. The practical value of the article lies in identifying universities as catalysts of innovative development and formulating recommendations for managing their participation in entrepreneurial ecosystems, protecting intellectual property and commercializing inventions. Promising areas of further research are the creation of maps of university stakeholders with a clear definition of roles and relationships, which will allow to strengthen the synergy of initiatives, optimize ecosystem management and eliminate conflicts of interest of participants.
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