Entrepreneurial Incentives Among University Students in Georgia and Portugal

Abstract

Abstract The study of entrepreneurial incentives among students is a highly relevant issue because it is of utmost importance for the economic development of the country to cultivate generations of entrepreneurs who will create high-value technological startups and contribute to the transformation of Georgia into a technological hub, a goal that we have been calling a priority for years. In recent years, there has been a tendency among young adults to show entrepreneurial initiative, although this is modest compared to what could truly change the image of the country. Funds and angel investors have emerged in the country, ready to invest in interesting business projects with global potential. In this process, the role of universities could be invaluable. The primary obstacle that Georgia’s and Portugal’s education systems are still facing is incorporating entrepreneurial skills into formal and vocational education. Scant is the rundown of colleges that have coordinated this new test in their educational programs. The region is characterized by precarious and unsystematic skill-based professional schooling, reflecting inadequate funding initiatives lacking sustainability. The article studies the factors influencing students’ entrepreneurial incentives in Georgia and Portugal, identifies the interests and opportunities of Georgian and Portuguese university students in starting a business, and discusses the best foreign practices for encouraging students’ entrepreneurial activity. The article reports a study, based on a survey, which identified the main facilitating and hindering factors that influence students’ entrepreneurial incentives. The paper also analyzes the environment supporting students’ entrepreneurial activities in Georgia and Portugal, discusses the possibilities of finding financing, and identifies the main obstacles that students face when starting a business.