Magnus Klofsten

Linköping University | LiU · Department of Management and Engineering (IEI)

One of the greatest challenges facing European economies is the comparatively limited capacity to convert scientific breakthroughs and technological achievements into industrial and commercial successes. As a result, there is growing awareness of the proactive approach being undertaken by academic institutions, with many adopting a direct entrepren...

An application of the theory of planned behaviour is developed here to analyse factors influencing entrepreneurial intent among university students. The study provides a test of the robustness of the intent approach using international comparisons. The samples are from Finland (Helsinki University of Technology), Sweden (Linköping University), USA...

Currently there is an attention in research and practise on entrepreneurial ecosystems, and how these, often using incubators, could support sustainable development through new firm start-ups. Despite the popularity of incubators in the literature and practise, few studies have focused on sustainable incubators in general or, more specifically, on...

The main purpose of this study was to investigate judgments made by employees from the pharmaceutical industry and allied health‐care sectors in a set of four different drug discovery and development cases derived from real scenarios. Each case study related to go/no‐go decisions taken from various steps in drug discovery through preclinical and cl...

Purpose This study aims to evaluate the influence of institutions on the probability of becoming a social entrepreneur and the effect of this choice on individual economic well-being. The authors also analyze the effects of gender (male versus female entrepreneurism) and type (traditional versus social entrepreneurism). Design/methodology/approach...

Despite extensive research on academic entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial universities, this special issue challenges conventional beliefs by examining intrapreneurship in academia. It aims to investigate how faculty and staff can adopt entrepreneurial behaviors and cultivate an entrepreneurial approach within their roles as researchers and educa...

This article explores the role of start-ups within entrepreneurial ecosystems in driving the transition towards a circular economy. It emphasises the importance of understanding and supporting circular start-ups for broader sustainability impacts. Unlike established firms, start-ups can readily adopt ambitious circular business models (CBMs) withou...

This paper delves into the dyadic relationships between Science Parks (SPs) and universities from the perspective of SPs. It explores various dimensions, including organizational functions, co-location, collaboration, management team activities, partnerships, and connections with university students and senior academics. A survey of 120 European SP...

While extant literature conceptually recognizes individuals as an integral part of the process with which organizations absorb new knowledge, past research has paid limited attention to the antecedents of individual-level absorptive capacity. In this paper, we address this research gap. We build on the interactionist perspective and propose that in...

The challenges encountered by established firms transforming their linear business models into circular business models (CBMs) have received extensive research attention. Such firms have experience and market foothold but tend to adopt an incremental approach to CBMs due to risks of business model cannibalization. However, there is relatively limit...

This study explores the crucial role of modern science parks in the creation, development, and management of entrepreneurial ecosystems. Thus, it has developed a conceptual framework for analysing the role that science parks could have in developing an entrepreneurial ecosystem. We interviewed several stakeholders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem o...

Science Parks convey the idea that technological innovation originates in scientific research. A triple helix configuration provides all the necessary conditions for science parks to achieve their goals. This paper aims to investigate the existing interactions of science parks with triple helix actors related to the development of talent attraction...

The circular economy aims for an effective and efficient resource use. Thus, application of the concept can benefit the sustainability performance of companies. Specifically, business modelling is a key enabler for the transition to a circular economy. However, the related research is dominated by a focus on incumbent companies and their transition...

Science Parks convey the idea that technological innovation originates in scientific research. A triple helix configuration provides all the necessary conditions for science parks to achieve their goals. This paper aims to investigate the existing interactions of science parks with triple helix actors related to the development of talent attraction...

The interplay between health, entrepreneurship and small and emerging businesses is a research field receiving growing interest. Studies point to both health-related risks and opportunities, which have implications for the social and economic lives of entrepreneurs and employees in small and new firms. Research has been carried out in different dis...

Whilst doctoral students comprise a large group of researchers at a university and will potentially play important roles in the utilization and transfer of research results, prior research studies have paid little attention to the effect of entrepreneurship education on PhD students with a science and technology orientation. This paper seeks to add...

While the concept of entrepreneurial ecosystems is now a prominent topic and an important stream in entrepreneurship research, the question of how ecosystems can specifically promote sustainable entrepreneurship and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations is a neglected issue. With the papers in this special...

One aspect of Science Parks development that has come into focus is the attraction of talent, which could include attracting specific expertise, making it easier for firms to be established and reach skilled workers. In order to encompass different contexts, both economic and cultural, a questionnaire was sent to 120 Science Parks, of which 59 (49%...

This book presents the proceedings of the IDEAS Conference, which is intended as a forum for a new generation of researchers. IDEAS is an arena that encourages researchers to defy their field's boundaries, leveraging disciplinary mindset into contributions to broad domains within the Science, Technology, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, and Managemen...

Concurrent increase in the degree of competition and access to information makes it both a challenge and necessity for firms to develop their ability to sense, seize and exploit knowledge-based advantages. Since ab-sorptive capacity reflects an organization's ability to extract innovative ideas from its environment, it plays a critical role in fost...

In recent decades, there has been growing interest in intrapreneurial capabilities. The intrapreneurship and strategic management literatures have insights for entrepreneurs about how to apply entrepreneurial and strategic techniques and concepts in creating competitive advantage. More specifically, the dynamic capabilities framework has emerged as...

This paper aims to expand our understanding of talent attraction management in Science Parks with a specific interest in university students/alumni as a human and strategic resource. The underlying rationale is how the links with universities can be supported and how the Science Park management can contribute to successful relationships with univer...

This paper is based on qualitative analysis and addresses the important topic of small business entrepreneurialism in rural areas and its special conditions and needs. Our aim is to present examples of and suggestions for how to encourage firm start-ups and the continuation possibly also the development and growth of existing firms. The paper is ba...

Research on incubators show that size is important in achieving efficiency and networking benefits for clients. However, little research has focused on what factors influence incubator size. We theorize and show partial support for size benefits to incubator specialization. Analyses of the relationship between size and four distinct specialization...

This paper explores activities undertaken by Science Parks to attract talent for their tenants. Despite the importance of accessing talent, there are very few studies focusing on this research area. The data in this investigation comes from seven cases studies on talent attraction activities carried out by three Science Parks in Sweden. We show tha...

Many studies have shown that they have ceased to be mere facilitators of physical spaces to become important providers of services and resources to their tenants. Universities situated in or next to them play a key role in getting engaged in the development and the attraction of talent to Science Parks, to their tenant firms as well as to the regio...

The literature on Science and Technology Parks (STPs) is growing rapidly and, despite the positive impact of STPs on firms found by many studies, it remains unclear how STPs create value for tenants. In this paper, we study the STP supply side through a case study in a Swedish region. We identify two components of the business support provided by p...

Limitations of the research on the various leadership and strategic issues facing universities seeking to become more entrepreneurial has led this special issue to focus on the management, development, and implementation of this vision. We have solicited original research on the strategic challenges that these universities currently encounter. Rese...

This article introduces various aspects of technology business incubators (TBIs), emphasizing their increasing role in the spatial context where they are used as platforms and drivers of regional entrepreneurial ecosystems. It outlines the key themes of the emerging role of TBIs in sustainable regional development: TBI biodiversity of ecosystems; a...

This study examines whether early growth is important for the short- and long-term survival and development of new firms. The study exploits registry data for a specific cohort of Swedish firms that tracks their development until their exit, or up to 14 years, at which point only 8% of the firms remain. We find growth to be associated with increase...

Over the years, science parks have developed and improved their processes to offer better support to their tenants and promote the growth of the region in which they are located. Since regional growth is closely associated with groups of talented people, science parks carry out various activities at the company or individual level to attract and re...

ABSTRACT: This study aims to get a deeper understanding of the reasons and activities related to the development of Science Parks of today, identifying actors involved and their relationships. To achieve the goal, we analysed the story of Mjärdevi Science Park (MSP), located in Linköping, Sweden, from its inception to the present. In our study, we...

This paper discusses incubators that claim a sustainability approach and pays particular attention to their inflow of firms – tenant recruitment. We also discuss external environment influences on tenant recruitment to the incubator. A case study approach examined one sustainable incubator that was successful in exclusively targeting ideas with a s...

Science parks have from the very beginning been important and valuable tools for the devel-opment of knowledge intensive economies. Most science parks have also strongly attracted talents, ideas, capital, R&D and firms. During the past decades we have witnessed a number of other structures and organizations being established, i.e. innovation hubs,...

The purpose of this paper and the special issue is to improve our understanding of the theoretical, empirical, managerial and political implications of emerging models of entrepreneurial universities in the new social and economic landscape. We accomplish this objective by examining the role of entrepreneurial universities as drivers of innovation...

Science parks have from the very beginning been important and valuable tools for the devel-opment of knowledge intensive economies. Most science parks have also strongly attracted talents, ideas, capital, R&D and firms. During the past decades we have witnessed a number of other structures and organizations being established, i.e. innovation hubs,...

The aim of Work Package 3 is to investigate deficits and potential of the existing incubator support systems for sustainable entrepreneurship. Furthermore, WP3 will deal with identification of best practices and transfer of good practices. The overall research questions are: What kind of entrepreneurship support is offered by existing incubators f...

The aim of Work Package 3 is to investigate deficits and potential of the existing incubator support systems for sustainable entrepreneurship. Furthermore, WP3 will deal with identification of best practices and transfer of good practices. The overall research questions are: What kind of entrepreneurship support is offered by existing incubators f...

Universities are currently in the process of change and adaptation to shifting expectations that for example include closer engagement with businesses and increased facilitation of entrepreneurship among faculty and graduates. By supporting academic entrepreneurship, universities can address these expectations whilst also becoming more entrepreneur...

The project SHIFT-Support Systems for Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Transformation-is being carried out in the timeframe 2012-2016 within the first call of the EU research network ECO-INNOVERA, 1 which enables international collaborative projects on eco-innovation that are funded by the respective national funding organisations of the participat...

Cluster development is prioritized in policy programmes as a means to facilitate regional growth and job creation. Triple Helix actors are often involved in so-called cluster initiatives – intermediary organizations having the objective of the development of a local or regional cluster. This paper maps out the 'big five' qualitative success factors...

In this article, we propose a framework for better understanding how structural change may be conceptualised and measured. In 2012, Oxford Research AB was assigned by the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth to study the impact of EU structural funds on structural change. For this purpose, we have developed a framework for measuring stru...

This paper focuses on the link between individuals’ knowledge sourcing and their creative contributions, such as new ideas and solutions in R&D-driven product-development projects; creative contributions were both self- and peer-assessed. The paper reveals that, for individuals, knowledge sources internal to the organization were generally regarded...

This paper focuses on venture team characteristics with respect to human capital dimensions in early stage ventures emerging from academic research (institutions). Three major groups have been investigated: founders, top managers and directors. Data was obtained using personal interviews with 185 product-oriented academic spin-offs in nine European...

Purpose – Understanding the factors behind successful enterprise policy interventions are critical in ensuring effective programme development. The aim of this paper is to analyse an academic-industry initiative in Sweden developed to support knowledge-intensive businesses in expanding their operations. Design/methodology/approach – This paper des...

Today's academic literature on new technology-based firms is rather growth and success-oriented, despite the fact that many valuable lessons can be learned from failures. This study aims at contributing to our understanding of failure processes by documenting five case studies of spin-offs that originated from European universities. Within the fram...

Managing innovation in smaller firms imposes challenges of a specific nature. Such challenges include scarcity of resources for R&D and innovation activities, complexity of scientific fields, coordinating innovation activities with operational functions of the firm and availability of access to up-to-date scientific excellence. A question of import...

This article focuses on actors and activities of cluster initiatives which are intermediaries within clusters of similar and related firms. A case study method is used; the cases show that their success and longevity depend to a large extent on their actors sharing a common vision. It is proposed that actors involved in cluster initiatives can be c...

Network-building activities of PhD students are an important area of study in furthering our understanding of academic entrepreneurship. This paper focuses on PhD students’ participation in network-building activities defined as mobility and collaboration, as well as own interest in and perceived grade of support for commercialisation from various...

Norrköping, a small urban area formerly dependent upon old labour-intensive industries, has developed a knowledge-based renewal strategy inspired by ideas emanating from its superseded local economy. Using a longitudinal case study, this paper explicates the dynamics of change among a triple helix of university, industry and government actors that...

Purpose – Small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) evaluation models lack a clear coupling to innovation and its impact on firm performance. A model which can achieve this is the Survival Index Value (SIV) model. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the ability of the SIV model to indicate and predict the performance of a company. The firm, Au...

The main purpose of this study was to investigate judgments made by employees from the pharmaceutical industry and allied health-care sectors in a set of four different drug discovery and development cases derived from real scenarios. Each case study related to go/no-go decisions taken from various steps in drug discovery through preclinical and cl...

This chapter focuses on two major concepts in entrepreneurship training, namely coaching and mentoring. A study of these concepts reveals at least two schools of thought, that coaching and mentoring are two parallel and distinct activities that can be used to support each other, and that coaching and mentoring are not separate activities — coaching...

High-tech innovation in a number of emerging and rapidly changing areas such as the pharmaceutical and bio-tech sectors, show signs of a movement from a closed to a more open innovation paradigm. This is primarily due to the possibility of rapid and unlimited communication through the Internet and the www, the increasing global availability of expe...

We propose a novel method -F2C -that can process the only information available in the early stages of a young high-technology venture: linguistic expert knowledge. This knowledge is the basis for the determination of an appropriate discount rate for the valuation of high-technology ventures in early stages of venture capital investments. A specifi...

What the future holds for the industrial cities of the past is a life and death question for many municipalities. Researchers, policy makers and ordinary citizens deal with issues related to developing appropriate strategy for renewing a declining industrial city. Searching the industrial landscape for an existing firm to relocate or establish a br...

This paper focuses on venture team characteristics with respect to human and social capital dimensions. Three major groups have been investigated such as founders, top management and board of directors. Data have been obtained using personal interviews with 185 product-oriented academic spin-offs within nine European countries. The results show a s...

The changing structure of the pharmaceutical industry: perceptions on entrepreneurship and openness Hedner, Thomas Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, The Sahlgrenska Academy, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden. Cowlrick, Ivor Transplant Institute, The Sahlgrenska Academy, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden. Wolf, Roland AMS Advanced...

In the international arena, there is an ongoing debate over the lack of newly started businesses in general and over how to obtain sustainable growth in these businesses in particular. Policy-makers in Europe have sought to ease this problem of paucity of new firm's start-ups, which is mainly caused by a lack of financial resources for new innovati...

Throughout history, innovators and entrepreneurs have had a tremendous impact on development, exploration, trade, education, science, and integration. During the 20th century, innovation and entrepreneurship have been regarded as key drivers in technological progress and productivity development worldwide. New radical innovations from new fields of...