Introduction: the role of entrepreneurial universities in society

Universities are increasingly becoming more entrepreneurial in their outlook and the way they integrate into society. This comes from the competitiveness pressures universities are facing in the global economy. More emphasis is being placed on the knowledge and service economies, which is impacting upon how universities are seen in communities. In the past universities were viewed more as teaching institutions, but this has changed, with research and development also being emphasized in terms of regional competitiveness. Therefore, the role of universities has adapted to be more entrepreneurial, as there are multiple stakeholder considerations.This chapter is structured as follows. First, the development of the term ‘entrepreneurial universities’ in the literature is discussed. Second, the important role universities have in society is discussed with reference to the increased integration of entrepreneurship in educational systems. Third, the growing influence of technology and knowledge transfer at universities is stated. Next, community interaction and entrepreneurial universities is discussed. The chapter then provides an overview of chapters in the book. A final section draws conclusions.