Results of Online Brainstorming: Future Entrepreneurial University Must Develop Collaboration

The online brainstorming is related to the University’s strategy for entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial training, the aim of which is to strengthen entrepreneurial attitudes and methods that support entrepreneurship in the whole community. The data was collected with an open and interactive online brainstorming tool in August–October 2018. 

Altogether 352 responses were received from the online brainstorming. Of the respondents, 75% were members of the University community, students and staff. A quarter of the respondents were representatives of public and private sector or organisations and associations as well as entrepreneurs. The brainstorming was conducted in Finnish and English.

The participants were asked to travel forward in time to the year 2025 and think about what needs to happen in the meantime to make the University of Turku the best possible Entrepreneurial University by that time. 

The most important themes that rose from the brainstorming were innovation activities, entrepreneurial training and support, multidisciplinarity as well as networking and collaboration. Promoting entrepreneurship was considered important for commercialising research, developing the competence of the University's students, and for the collaboration with stakeholders.

 – In the respondents’ visions, the future Entrepreneurial University is built first and foremost through new collaboration. With collaboration, the respondents referred to internal co-operation between different University units as well as co-operation with commercial partners, education institutions and research organisations, says Entrepreneurship Programme Manager Kirsi Peura.

Ensuring Research Activities Is Important 

The participants to the online brainstorm highlighted that the promotion of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial activities should not undermine the research conducted at the University. The respondents wish that the University has a clear profile, emphasises its multi- and interdisciplinarity, is international and responsible in its activities, and has flexible and agile operation models.

The responses also highlighted the need to emphasise the voluntary nature of entrepreneurship and to see the importance of both entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial activities in the future as well.

– The participants suggested concrete examples both for developing day-to-day activities and for strategic policies with long-term impact. We want to thank everyone who responded to the brainstorming survey. We will use the results in developing the activities of the University of Turku, says Kirsi Peura.

University products were raffled among the respondents. Teijo Pöyhönen and Allison Mcguire won the raffle and have been notified of their win.