Today, entrepreneurship manifests itself in universities of applied sciences in many ways: through the development of business ideas, the creation of new ventures, the commercialization of research results, entrepreneurial ways of working, the identification of new opportunities, and the ability to create value in diverse communities. Entrepreneurship can be part of the everyday lives of both students and academic staff, influencing teaching practices, RDI activities, and collaboration between higher education institutions and businesses, public organizations, and third-sector actors.
Entrepreneurship continues to evolve alongside digitalization, the green transition, internationalization, and changing working life. Universities of applied sciences play a key role in this transformation. The goal of this special issue is to provide a diverse collection of contributions that explore entrepreneurship from new perspectives, highlight both successes and lessons learned from failures, and encourage reflection on the role of entrepreneurship in the future of higher education.
Higher education institutions play a significant role in fostering entrepreneurial competences, entrepreneurship pedagogy, and learning outcomes, while responding to future challenges and contributing to the development of sustainable solutions. They are also key actors in entrepreneurial ecosystems, bringing together research, students, businesses, and other regional stakeholders to generate innovations, knowledge, and new ventures, while strengthening networks and knowledge exchange within the ecosystem. Furthermore, higher education institutions support business partners and emerging entrepreneurs within the academic community in developing responsible business practices, advancing the circular economy, and identifying and leveraging new opportunities, such as those arising from the arts and creative industries.
We welcome both research-based and practice-oriented expert articles from universities of applied sciences and beyond. In addition to articles, contributions may include essays, viewpoints, interviews, and examples of collaboration between higher education institutions and external stakeholders. Audiovisual content is also welcome.
The maximum length is: Expert articles: 10,000 characters, review articles: 4,000 characters, more informal contributions: 3,000 characters (all character counts include spaces). Detailed author guidelines are available at: UAS Journal Author Guidelines. Please read the instructions carefully. We particularly encourage author teams that include contributors from outside higher education institutions.
Suggested themes and examples of topics
Theme 1: Entrepreneurial Competence as Part of Future-Oriented Higher Education Pedagogy
- Development of entrepreneurial identity among students or staff
- Building entrepreneurial competences and entrepreneurial capabilities
- Entrepreneurship pedagogy: approaches, assumptions, and learning environments
- Promoting entrepreneurship at different life-course transition points through lifelong learning
- Evaluation and impact assessment of entrepreneurship-promoting activities
Theme 2: Higher Education Institutions as Drivers of Innovation, Growth, and Regional Vitality
- Research-based entrepreneurship and commercialization of innovations
- Experiences and impacts of incubator and accelerator programs
- Higher education institutions as partners in regional ecosystems supporting business renewal
Theme 3: Sustainable Value Creation and the Future of Entrepreneurship
- Emerging business models: opportunities created by artificial intelligence and the circular economy
- Multidisciplinary collaboration as an enabler of solutions
- International and multicultural entrepreneurship
- Futures literacy in entrepreneurship: imagining possible futures through, for example, arts-based methods
- Ethical entrepreneurship in the age of artificial intelligence
- Social entrepreneurship
Guest Editors
Anette Kairikko, PhD
Principal Lecturer, Research Group Leader, Entrepreneurship and Value Creation
Turku University of Applied Sciences
anette.kairikko@turkuamk.fi
Maija Suonpää, D.Sc. (Econ. & Bus. Adm.)
Senior Researcher
Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences
maija.suonpaa@haaga-helia.fi
Riikka Franzén, D.Sc. (Econ. & Bus. Adm.)
Researcher
Turku University of Applied Sciences
riikka.franzen@turkuamk.fi
Schedule for Issue 02/2027
- 1 February 2027: Submit article proposals to the guest editors in the form of an abstract (maximum 200 words, Word document).
- 19 February 2027: Notification of acceptance or rejection of abstracts sent to corresponding authors.
- 15 March 2027: Submission of full manuscripts and image proposals.
- 5 April 2027: Feedback sent to corresponding authors.
- 23 April 2027: Submission of revised and finalized manuscripts.
- Week 22, May 2027: Publication of the special issue.
Please feel free to share this call for papers within your organization and professional networks.
Vastaa