Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Technological Forecasting & Social Change journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/techfore Developing entrepreneurial competences in biotechnology early career researchers to support long-term entrepreneurial career outcomes Lorna Treanor a, ⁎ , Hannah Noke b , Susan Marlow c , Simon Mosey d a Nottingham University Business School, University of Nottingham, UK b University of Nottingham, UK c University of Birmingham, UK d Director, Haydn Green Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Nottingham University Business School and Ghent University, Centre for Entrepreneurship Research, UK ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Entrepreneurship SET STEM Entrepreneurship education Evaluation Commercialisation Biotechnology careers ABSTRACT This paper explores how early career biotechnology researchers develop entrepreneurial competences through participation in a bespoke entrepreneurship education competition and whether this affects their longer-term entrepreneurial actions. Specifically, we discuss the pedagogy and evaluate the short- and long-term impact of a long-running entrepreneurship competition, where biotechnology doctoral and postdoctoral researchers address societal and environmental challenges through hypothetical new venture creation. We present evidence re- garding the efficacy of this experiential education, where online mentoring is blended with a team-based re- sidential competition utilising inspirational speakers, practitioner support and peer learning in encouraging ECRs to consider commercialising their research. We conclude that long-term entrepreneurial career outcomes can be fostered through tailored short-term interventions. 1. Introduction Entrepreneurial activity within academia has become an interna- tional priority (Wright, 2014; De Silva, 2016) due to the positive impact upon knowledge-based regional development achieved through the commercialisation of research results and the provision of highly-edu- cated, entrepreneurial graduates into regional labour markets (Bienkowska and Klofsten, 2012). Hence, the demand for universities to facilitate knowledge exchange is increasing, from both policy and funding channels (Thune, 2009; Dooley and Kenny, 2015), driving academic entrepreneurship and closer university-industry ties (Muscio and Ramaciotti, 2019). European Union policies have, in re- cent decades, promoted entrepreneurship education within universities (Brentnall et al., 2018), to foster entrepreneurial attitudes and compe- tencies amongst faculty and students (Bienkowska et al, 2016); with an increasing emphasis upon post-graduate researchers (Thune, 2010; Dooley and Kenny, 2015). To realise the potential contribution to economic growth (Blenker at al., 2008) and regional development (Bienkowska and Klofsten, 2012), targeting entrepreneurship education at post-graduate researchers is apposite given that they undertake the majority of research in Universities (Enders, 2002; Bienkowska and Klofsten, 2012) and could be undertaking innovative research with commercialisation potential (Thune, 2009, 2010; Dooley and Kenny, 2015). This entrepreneurial university context requires additional compe- tencies from post-graduate researchers in order to navigate academe- industry demands, commercialise research and establish successful academic careers (Thune, 2009, 2010). However, given that doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers are unlikely to attain tenured academic positions, they must nurture the intrapreneurial skillset re- quired by employers in the labour market (Phillips, 2010). An en- trepreneurial mindset and competencies are, therefore, required by both doctoral and post-doctoral researchers for their future careers, whether in academia, as an entrepreneur or within industry (Hayter and Parker, 2019). It is accepted that entrepreneurship education for post-graduate researchers, particularly in SET (Science, Engineering and Technology) disciplines, needs to incorporate knowledge and awareness of the commercialisation process (Rasmussen, 2005; Phillips, 2010). Dooley and Kenny (2015) found entrepreneurial skills developed during post-graduate research can influence future entrepreneurial cap- abilities; while Muscio and Ramaciotti (2019: 21) established that https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120031 Received 6 November 2018; Received in revised form 19 December 2019; Accepted 14 March 2020 ⁎ Corresponding author at: Haydn Green Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Nottingham University Business School B35, Business School South Jubilee Campus, Nottingham, NG8 1BB, UK. E-mail address: Lorna.Treanor@nottingham.ac.uk (L. Treanor). Technological Forecasting & Social Change xxx (xxxx) xxxx 0040-1625/ Crown Copyright © 2020 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Please cite this article as: Lorna Treanor, et al., Technological Forecasting & Social Change, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120031