Resources at Academic Entrepreneurship Centers

Universities harbor numerous resources for academic entrepreneurs. Academic entrepreneurship centers differ: the more comprehensive ones provide an array of services that support innovations at all stages of development. Universities often have educational programs to teach faculty about entrepreneurship; usually offered in business schools, they are increasingly being offered in engineering and medical programs. Entrepreneurship education increasingly involves experiential learning. Other entrepreneurial support at academic institutions includes: incubators, accelerators, mentoring, business plan competitions, and other programs that support the creation and maturation of startups. University seed funds can help early-stage startups breach the funding gap and attract new investors. Technology transfer offices (TTOs) focus on intellectual property (IP) protection for inno­vations stemming from university research, and increasingly provide other services and linkages that support the commercialization of innovations