Entrepreneurial Opportunity Recognition and Exploitation in the Academia: a Dynamic Process of Networking?

Academic Entrepreneurship has drawn large research interest over the last decade. However, few research focus on the processes behind entrepreneurial behavior in favor of more “linear” perspectives such as the individuals´ transformation from an academic to an entrepreneur measured by e.g. number of start-ups. This paper focuses on entrepreneurial opportunities, its nature and source, and speaks for the usefulness of a social network perspective on academic entrepreneurship. Inter-disciplinary literature is reviewed for research on the significance of social network to entrepreneurial behavior of academics, or more precisely; social networks significance to opportunity recognition, evaluation and exploitation among entrepreneurial academics. Academic entrepreneurial actions are viewed as non-isolated, non-deterministic, and dynamic co-creations through social networks. Finally concluding remarks, hypotheses and research ideas are presented in which the commercialization process may not be seen as a linear but dynamic process, the opportunity may be created or originate in new knowledge and in turn may be recognized by any member within the academic´s social network and that encouragement and various resources necessary for entrepreneurial action may be added by yet others within the network.