Entrepreneurial intentions determine to a large extent the entrepreneurial behavior; therefore, the study of those intentions and the factors that influence them constitute a valid research area. The purpose of this regional comparative study was to design a new causal model of the formation of the entrepreneurial intention among young adults in Spain and Poland. Using the Structural Equation Modeling (PLS) methodology, the results show that subjective variables (beliefs, social norms, values) initiate the chain of effects that influence the action variables (motivation, self-efficacy, intention). Attitude is the nexus variable between both groups of variables. It is verified that there are no significant differences in the responses to the items or in the causal relationships of the model between both countries. This confirms the relevance of a homogenizing generational approach at a global level that allows the application of policies to promote the entrepreneurial intention for the entire segment. The proposed model takes into account and complements the previous designs, and is practical because it can be used at different levels of the education sector and by institutions promoting entrepreneurship and sustainability.

Research background: The concept of the university entrepreneurship ecosystem is nowadays a part of the current trends in researching the determinants of support for commercialization of research results. The subject is relatively new, because the first papers in this topic are dated to 2009, and in fact it has only been in the last 3 years that the interest of researchers in this subject has increased. Purpose of the article: The purpose of this study is to analyze the state of research on the issue of the university ecosystem of academic entrepreneurship and to identify the main research trends related to this topic. Methods: The article was based on a systematic review of the literature (SLR), which included the selection of basic literature and selection of publications, mayor researchers, bibliometric analysis and content analysis. Findings & Value added: The results of the conducted research indicate that the study of the university ecosystem of academic entrepreneurship is still a new issue, poorly recognized in literature, without a solid methodological foundation and which may constitute a current and interesting research area. Our paper adds to existing research in four important ways. We provide a holistic review of university entrepreneurial ecosystem. We also identify the challenges identified in this area and suggest how they may be developed. Third, our results are also policy-relevant. For policy-makers, it is important to know whether academic engagement is driven by mechanisms existing in academic ecosystem or affected by factors that may not be activated by it.

This article analyses the influence of personal variables on entrepreneurial intentions of students from Poland and Spain. The article presents an integrated structural model that has been developed from a set of student perceptions from both countries. A small number of variables included in the model allows explaining and managing the formation of the intention in the context of higher education. This study provides answers to the following questions: What role do personal variables play as motivation in the formation of entrepreneurship in the case of young people? Is the motivation stronger than self-efficacy? What are the differences in the perceptions and ratings of students in Poland and Spain? How can these variables be enhanced? This work used a causal quantitative methodology based on structural equations (PLS) and the Smart PLS-3.0 program. The PLS model was chosen for its advantages in the study of human behaviour and its optimal predictive potential, and because it allows the use of reflective indicators. In the causal model generated with a sample of 721 respondents from Poland and Spain, it was found that personal values initiated the chain of effects that influenced the attitude and, through it, successively resulted in motivation, self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intentions. Therefore, the subjective variables (values and attitudes) have a positive and significant influence on the action variables (motivation and self-efficacy), and these affect entrepreneurial intentions. The absence of significant regional differences in the responses to the items and the causal relationships of the model suggests the possibility of developing integrated and homogeneous programmes for the entire segment, thereby achieving synergies. The results suppose a theoretical and practical contribution to the promotion of entrepreneur intentions of university students inside and outside the educational context, suggesting a possible effect of personal variables on entrepreneurial intentions.

The article analyses the influence of contextual variables on students’ entrepreneurial intentions. The research seeks to extend previous findings concerning the impact of various contextual factors on entrepreneurial intentions. The main focus was on public policy, business environment and education as the contextual traits. The study answers the following questions: What role do contextual variables play in the formation of the entrepreneurial intention of young people? What factors comprise a latent variable — contextual factor? What is the relationship between various contextual factors? The survey was conducted among students of the Faculty of Engineering Management at Bialystok University of Technology (Poland). Data were collected from the sample of 332 respondents. This research used a causal quantitative methodology using structural equations (Structural Equation Modelling, SEM). The impact of education (E) on the business environment (BE) and of the business environment (BE) on public policy (PP) was confirmed. A direct influence of contextual factors — education (E), business environment (BE) and public policy (PP) — on entrepreneurial intentions (EI) has not been positively verified. The main theoretical conclusion is that contextual factors do not directly explain the entrepreneurial intentions of the surveyed student population in Poland. Decision-makers and politicians should consider additional measures to improve public policy in the country, but above all, measures that promote intentions indirectly. They aim to improve the educational environment in the country that is strengthening entrepreneurship education programmes in universities and earlier education stages and activities in the business environment, supporting the creation of new companies.

It is essential to understand the variables that explain and predict the behaviour of starting up a new company in a regional context. This study aims to analyse the theoretical basis and predictive potential of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data, considering the concerns and suggestions of other authors. In addition to an extensive literature review, a PLS-SEM methodology and data on variables and countries from the latest GEM report are used in this study. The results show that GEM reports have a sufficient theoretical foundation for quality studies in this field. In addition, a valid and reliable causal model is designed that includes all personal and contextual GEM variables. The hypotheses of the proposed model are based on the existing causal relationships in the literature, using GEM data in its formulation. The model is comprehensive and practical because it significantly predicts entrepreneurial behaviour, particularly entrepreneurial intention and action. The usefulness of this study is high, both for researchers, practitioners and institutions wishing to understand better and further promote entrepreneurial behaviour at a regional (country) level.

The article addresses the issue of the future of European universities on the path to sustainable development. The main aim of the article is to describe foreseeable future directions of the sustainable development of universities and ways to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. In effect, the authors identify weaknesses, assess threats and recommend coordinated solutions and alternatives for the sustainable development of universities. This research will contribute to future work by explaining what the future of universities will look like on their sustainability journey. The results of the Delphi study conducted with the participation of 201 experts from 47 countries allowed for the identification of factors shaping the future of universities on the path to sustainable development.