Entrepreneurial Initiatives in Colombian Universities: The Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Business Center of Sergio Arboleda University

In its most general and broad term, the university is still considered today as the most important hub of any society in terms of scientific research, knowledge transfer and spread of humanistic culture. However, in recent years, the university has acquired an increasingly important role as a strategic focus of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, both within societies of developed countries and in developing regions, where it is necessary to push towards the establishment of a business network that generates employment and welfare. As a way to reinforce this entrepreneurial attitude in universities, and more specifically in higher education institutions located in Colombia, this study presents the case of the Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Business Center of Sergio Arboleda University—Sergio i + E in Bogota, Colombia. The aim of this work is to present the processes, methodologies and tools developed by the aforementioned center in its efforts to serve as an instrument to promote entrepreneurship among the university community and serve as a link among other Colombian groups and institutions, all in order to motivate and promote progress and a generation a self-sustaining development initiatives. As part of this work, some examples and data from major entrepreneurial projects that have been carried out in the Sergio i + E center will be presented, in order to show clearly the need of developing and strengthen own institutions inside the university to encourage and promote entrepreneurial attitudes and skills of the students, as well as provide them with consultancy and advisory mechanisms in their emerging business projects, while serving as a focus of development and realization of ideas within Colombian society.