Evaluation of the Impact of a University Accelerator on Students’ Entrepreneurial Attitudes, Intentions, and Learning Experience

Abstract

University accelerator programs have exhibited remarkable growth in recent years, and many countries have embraced their potential to support entrepreneurship education and ultimately the development of successful startups. Despite their widespread adoption, additional research is needed to comprehensively grasp their potential impact on entrepreneurship education. This case study adopted a mixed-method approach to assess (a) the impact of a university accelerator program for healthcare innovation on participant’s attitudes and intentions towards entrepreneurship and (b) the learning experience and knowledge gains of the participants through the process of forming multidisciplinary teams, generating a startup idea and creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The authors draw data from a quantitative measure of attitudes towards entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial intentions and a series of interviews with the participants. Findings showed that personal attitudes (i.e., favorable or not toward an entrepreneurial career) and subjective norm (i.e., perceived social pressure) weren’t affected by the program. However, the program positively impacted the participants’ perceived behavioral control (i.e., perceived ease or difficulty of entrepreneurship) and entrepreneurial intention (i.e., participant’s intent to become an entrepreneur). Furthermore, the findings indicated that the content and the activities of the program were beneficial for participants supporting their learning and competences including knowledge and entrepreneurial skills and social skills. However, challenges in multidisciplinary team formation, content delivery, and mentorship were identified. The study suggests the need for future research with a larger sample size in varied contexts to deepen our understanding of the impact of university accelerator programs on entrepreneurial attitudes and learning experiences. The case study contributes valuable insights to enhance the design and effectiveness of university accelerator programs.