CROSS-COUNTRY DATA: ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUPPORT IN HEIS for Bulgaria, Poland, Germany (East)

1. CROSS-COUNTRY DATA:
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
SUPPORT IN HEIS
Bulgaria, Poland, Germany (East)

2. General information
• In Bulgaria 51 public and private HEIs were invited in
May 2014 to particpate in an online survey. To date 20
HEIs completed the survey (39,2%).
• In Poland, all 150 public and private HEIs were invited
in April 2013 to participate in an online survey. 23
responses were received (15.3%).
• In Eastern Germany, 57 public HEIs in Eastern
Germany were invited in April 2012 to participate in
the online survey. Responses were collected from 41
HEIs (71.9%).
2

3. Objectives for HEIs
Promoting self-employment
5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
Legend: 1=Unimportant, 2=of little importance,
3=moderately important, 4=important, 5=very important
3
1
and
entrepreneurship
as viable career
Developing
entrepreneurial
competences and
skills
Commercialising
research results
Generating
revenues from
spin-off activities
Supporting
business start-ups
BGL
POL
EGER
N=20 HEIs
N=23 HEIs
N=41 HEIs

4. Teaching methods
71%
65%
71%
53%
72%
6%
72%
83%
54%
85%
82%
46%
In the BGL sample 17 HEI (85%)
reported to offer entrepreneurship
education activities. In Poland 18
HEIs (78%) and in Eastern Germany
39 HEIs (95%).
POL POL_planned
Use of social media (e.g., blogs,
Facebook, Linked-in, Xing,…
Entrepreneurs as guest speakers in
EGER EGER_planned
Use of social media (e.g., blogs,
Facebook, Linked-in, Xing,…
Entrepreneurs as guest speakers in
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Use of social media to
develop market
research skills or
generate business
ideas
Entrepreneurs as
guest speakers in
classes
Experience reports by
start-ups
Visits to companies
EGER POL BGL
83%
72%
6%
72%
50%
17%
17%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
classes
Experience reports by start-ups
Visits to companies
54%
85%
82%
46%
21%
8%
8%
15%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
classes
Experience reports by start-ups
Visits to companies
4

5. Current practices and trends*
• Bulgarian HEIs reported to mostly use entrepreneurs
as guest speakers and visit to companies in their
entrepreneurship education.
• Also Polish HEIs widely practice visits to companies,
whereas Eastern German HEIs build on experience
reports by start-ups.
• Future efforts in Polish HEIs go mostly into promoting
the use of social media, whereas the German HEIs
would like to increase the involvement of
entrepreneurs in class.
5
*The question on which teaching methods are planned, was not asked in the Bulgarian
survey.

6. Teaching methods
74%
77%
76%
88%
53%
39%
41%
72%
83%
39%
72%
36%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Learning formats to
develop prototypes
Learning formats to
develop business
models
Problem-based
learning
Business idea
generation activities
EGER POL BGL
POL POL_planned
28%
83%
72%
39%
39%
11%
28%
28%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Learning formats to develop
prototypes
Learning formats to develop
business models
Problem-based learning
Business idea generation activities
EGER EGER_planned
74%
77%
72%
36%
5%
13%
23%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Learning formats to develop
prototypes
Learning formats to develop
business models
Problem-based learning
Business idea generation activities
6

7. Current practices and trends
• Problem-based learning was reported in all three
country samples as widely practiced, with future
efforts directed to its expansion in both Poland and
Eastern Germany.
• Bulgarian HEIs also report wide practice of business
generation activities. Their use is increasing.
• Prototype development is the least used teaching
model of the four models reported on the previous
slide
7

8. Teaching methods
EGER EGER_planned
Business games and simulations
88%
71%
56%
65%
82%
83%
67%
56%
POL POL_planned
Business games and simulations
95%
67%
44%
79%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Business games and
simulations
Self-learning
exercises using
multimedia
Case studies
Business plan writing
EGER POL BGL
56%
67%
83%
56%
6%
17%
17%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Self-learning exercises using
multimedia
Case studies
Business plan writing
95%
67%
44%
79%
13%
23%
3%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Self-learning exercises using
multimedia
Case studies
Business plan writing
8

9. Current practices and trends
• Business games and simulations were mostly used in
the Bulgarian sample HEIs and the Polish HEIs
reported to expand their use.
• Business plan writing was the predominant teaching
method in Germany; Polish HEIs reported to increase
the use of business plan writing as a teaching method
• The use of case studies in entrepreneurship classes
was reported approximately equal in all three country
samples.
9

10. Start-up support
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
In the BGL sample 10 HEI (50%)
reported to offer start-up support. In
Poland 10 HEIs (44%) and in Eastern
Germany 35 HEIs (85%).
BGL EGER POL BGL EGER POL BGL EGER POL
Assistance with
business plan or start-up
competitions
Assistance with
preparing business
plans
Mentoring by
experienced
entrepreneurs
Not offered
Planned
Offered
10

11. Current practices and trends
• All Bulgarian HEIs reported to provide assistance with
preparing business plans. Also assistance with
business plan competitions was offered.
• Eastern German HEIs paid equal attention to
providing assistance with preparing business plans
and follow-up support in competitions.
• Polish HEIs were the most active in organising
mentoring by experienced entrepreneurs whereas this
was only offered by half of the Bulgarian HEIs which
offered start-up support.
11

12. Start-up support
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
BGL EGER POL BGL EGER POL BGL EGER POL BGL EGER POL
Assistance with
patents and
intellectual
property
Provide access to
research results
Access to
infrastructure
(incubators, co-working
space,
laboratories)
Support for
prototype
development
Not offered
Planned
Offered
12

13. Current practices and trends
• All of the Bulgarian HEIs, who reported to offer
start-up support, provided access to research
results; this was the case for two-third of the
Eastern German sub-sample, whereas in Poland
this was offered by less than half of the group.
• Access to infrastructure (incubators, co-working
spaces and laboratories was reported as widely
practiced or planned to be introduced.
• Support for prototype development was, however,
provided less often in all three country samples.
13

14. Start-up support
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
BGL EGER POL BGL EGER POL BGL EGER POL
Assistance with
applications for public
funding
Provision of financial
resources
Facilitate contacts with
investors (banks,
venture capital and
business angels)
Not offered
Planned
Offered
14

15. Current practices and trends
• The Eastern German HEI group leads in facilitating
contacts with investors; this is least often practiced in
the Polish group.
• Almost all Bulgarian and German HEIs provide or
plan to provide assistance with applications for public
funding, this practice is less frequent in the Polish
group.
• Provision of financial resources directly through the
HEI is gaining importance as a start-up support
service, both in Bulgaria and in Eastern Germany
according to the respondent HEIs.
15

16. Start-up support
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
BGL EGER POL BGL EGER POL BGL EGER POL
Assistance with
Provision of post
finding co-founders
start-up support
Referral to external
business support
organisations
Not offered
Planned
Offered
16

17. Current practices and trends
• The Eastern German HEIs are most active in
providing assistance with finding co-funders.
Respondent HEIs in Bulgaria and Poland are planning
to introduce efforts to this end.
• Also provision of post start-up support is gaining
importance.
• Referral to external business support organisations is
widely practiced in Eastern Germany and also
Bulgarian HEIs become more outward looking. Only
half of the Polish respondent HEIs were connected to
external business support services.
17

18. HEI-Partners in
Entrepreneurship Support
18
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
BGL EGER POL BGL EGER POL BGL EGER POL
Regional/local
government and bodies
Venture capitalists,
business angels
Banks
EE
Start-up
In the Bulgarian sample 17 HEIs reported to offer entrepreneurship education activities and 10 HEIs to
offer start-up support.
In the Polish sample 18 HEIs and 10 HEIs and in the Eastern German sample 39 HEIs and 35 HEIs .

19. HEI-Partners in
Entrepreneurship Support
19
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
BGL EGER POL BGL EGER POL BGL EGER POL
Entrepreneurs Managers and senior
staff of large
enterprises
Alumni of your
University
EE
Start-up

20. HEI-Partners in
Entrepreneurship Support
20
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
BGL EGER POL BGL EGER POL BGL EGER POL
Other universities Technology park(s),
incubator(s)
Chamber(s) of
trade/commerce/industry
EE
Start-up

21. Further information
Andrea-Rosalinde.Hofer@oecd.org
Joseph.Tixier@oecd.org
21