We’ve been tracking enterprise provision in higher education for over a decade. These snapshots tell a story of a landscape undergoing unprecedented change and reflect a key message: that enterprise and entrepreneurship has never been so important.
Our previous survey of the sector, published in 2020, captured activity at the moment the pandemic struck. Enterprise activity had increased in universities at an even greater rate than we saw in 2018.
Social enterprise activity also increased slightly or significantly for 65 percent of respondents. We called for this vital but fragile stream of activity to be protected with dedicated funding and staff time.
Before COVID-19 there were widespread plans to increase enterprise activity within universities.
Did the pandemic threaten these plans? Has social enterprise activity been protected? Have there been changes in how enterprise activity is delivered? What about the major challenges and opportunities, and the impact of policies and politics?
Our 2022 survey is now open, and we’re capturing the views of the sector. If you are the head of enterprise (or in a similar position) at a UK higher education institution, we would love to hear from you. Your views will shape the report, and you’ll be able to compare your institution to others. You can complete the survey here.
We’ll also be sharing the first analysis of the findings at our conference –Entrepreneurial Universities: building our future – at Sheffield Hallam University on Thursday 6th October. Find out more and book your place.