Abstract

Abstract
The Spin-Up project has the objective of determining what sort of entrepreneurship training and coaching program will contribute to the development of key entrepreneurial skills, both technical and behavioural, essential to enable and leverage university spin-off growth. University spin-off firms (USOs) tend to grow at a slower pace than corporate spin-offs or other young high-technology firms, which underlines the need for the project. The Spin-Up project is funded by the European Commission within the scope of the Erasmus Program (Enterprise and University cooperation) / Lifelong Learning Program. The project commenced in 2011, and the consortium is made up by five entities from three countries and one associated partner country. 99 face-to-face interviews and surveys of CEOs and members of USO management teams revealed that a number of entrepreneurial skills were missing and hampering growth, namely skills (top 10) to: gain financial capital; internationalize; increase sales; be financially literate; manage marketing; manage human resources; manage operations; understand economic principles of business; grow based on strategic management; and understand an approach keen on intellectual ownership protection. These findings guided the development of the training program, to be delivered to USO CEOs and other USO senior managers. Full pilot training sessions have already been delivered in the Netherlands, in Finland, and in Portugal. The training was delivered based on: 1) initial exploratory questions; 2) subsequent providing of background theory; and 3) finalizing with further practical questions on the subject matter. In this way, engagement of the spin-off firms was increased throughout and the training had a very practical approach, centered on problem-solving and real life examples, challenging participants to think about their day-to-day issues hampering growth. The areas in need of specific training were defined as being innovation, marketing and sales; overall strategy; finance; internationalization strategy; and leadership and human resource management. Networking opportunities occurred between peers during the training sessions and also with various key specialists, like a business angel (in Portugal) and venture capitalist (in the Netherlands). In terms of what the consortium partners have produced, tangible materials include training manuals and case studies, to support the training effort.

Abstract
Innovation is a journey that is full of challenges. It is demanding, but we need to keep inspirational aspects in mind, such as the ones President Kennedy expressed in his predestinated “sticky” (Heath and Heath, 2007) speech in 1962 about sending a man to the moon. Since the seminal works of Schumpeter (1934), innovation has been widely acknowledged as a key driver of competitiveness, economic growth and welfare. There is a wealth of empirical evidence supporting a positive relationship between innovation and firm-level performance in the academic literature (e.g. Crépon et al., 1998; Griffith et al., 2006; Lööf and Heshmati, 2002). At firm level, innovation has long been recognized as a competitive advantage and a key driver of economic performance (Schumpeter, 1934). Innovation also lies at the very heart of policy mechanisms to achieve a smart, inclusive and sustainable growth in economies, as envisioned by the Europe 2020 strategy (European Commission, 2013).(...)

Abstract
The expansion of human knowledge in all areas is largely the outcome of the activity of academic institutions and the result of their mission to contribute to the cultural, intellectual and economic development of the society, involving education, research and university extension activities. For many years, the academic community has been organizing itself in all different ways to respond to current and future needs, ensuring research integrity and recognition, and building on successive generations of peers to validate and support the launching and development of novel research streams. We owe the current state of research and development of our society to generations of scholars and scientists that have brought all of us here.(...)

Abstract

Abstract
In addition to capital infrastructure and consumers, digital information created by individual and corporate consumers of information technology is quickly being recognized as a key economic resource and an extremely valuable asset to a company. Organizational, Legal, and Technological Dimensions of Information System Administration recognizes the importance of information technology by addressing the most crucial issues, challenges, opportunities, and solutions related to the role and responsibility of an information system. Highlighting various aspects of the organizational and legal implications of system administration, this reference work will be useful to managers, IT professionals, and graduate students who seek to gain an understanding in this discipline.