Italy has one of the highest rates of small business ownership in the OECD, with over 4 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). From the family-run “trattoria” in Naples to the cutting-edge fashion startups in Milan, entrepreneurship is deeply embedded in Italy’s DNA.
SMEs are crucial to the economic growth of Italy, accounting for around 80% of employment and generating more than 65% of the nation’s added value. But what about the next generation? How are Italian universities preparing young people to innovate? How are they training entrepreneurs to align economic goals with social and environmental responsibility?
Entrepreneurship built for now
Gone are the days when entrepreneurship was only about money and individual goals. Today, a new mindset is required, one that does not just chase profit but actively addresses global challenges like climate change, digital transformation and social inequality. If Italy wants to maintain its entrepreneurial edge, universities must equip students with the skills and vision to innovate with purpose.
Italian universities are shifting from traditional business education to an approach that integrates entrepreneurship across disciplines, from engineering to the humanities. This is not just about producing more startups, but about fostering a generation of problem-solvers who can drive change across industries and sectors.
A balancing act for higher education
Promoting entrepreneurship in higher education comes with unique challenges. Italian universities, like many in Europe, operate under a system of autonomy, even when state-owned. While this fosters academic freedom and innovation, it also complicates reform efforts to embed entrepreneurial education across institutions.
Recognising the need for adaptation, the Italian Ministry of University and Research, in partnership with the OECD, launched ITA.CON, a project assessing how universities can foster stronger links between academic research, businesses, and the broader community. ITA.CON serves as a strategic roadmap for enhancing universities’ social and economic impact.
A key area of focus has been technology transfer and research valorisation, ensuring that university-led innovations move beyond academic circles into real-world applications. This is where NETVAL, Italy’s National Network for Research Valorisation, plays a crucial role. By providing universities with support services, NETVAL helps translate research into tangible entrepreneurial and social impact.
ITA.CON highlighted the need to strengthen such initiatives, encouraging universities to develop startup incubation programmes, reinforce knowledge exchange networks, and integrate social entrepreneurship training. This ensures that students acquire not just theoretical knowledge, but practical skills to address societal challenges.
Harnessing Europe’s network for impact
Entrepreneurial education is not just about national reforms, but also about connecting Italian universities to European entrepreneurial ecosystems. European University Alliances play a crucial role in sharing best practices in research valorisation and how universities can best maximise their assets and collaborative networks.
These alliances help bridge the gap between research and innovation, ensuring cutting-edge academic discoveries have real-world applications. This is particularly relevant for high-tech sectors, where universities play a key role in fostering industrial relations.
Better coordination and shared strategies can enhance the valorisation of high-performance computing (HPC) capabilities, ensuring businesses, especially startups and SMEs, can access these critical resources. Similarly, deep-tech sectors such as quantum manufacturing and new materials benefit from stronger ties between academia and industry, keeping Italy at the forefront of scientific and technological advancements.
By strengthening connections at regional, national and European levels, Italian universities can not only support entrepreneurial talent development but also ensure their research efforts contribute directly to industrial innovation and economic growth.
Startup Campuses and the Mattei Plan for Africa
These efforts must reach beyond Europe. Italian universities have an opportunity and a responsibility to play a leading role in economic development where it is most needed: Africa, a young and fast-changing continent. The Mattei Plan for Africa, Italy’s strategic initiative to strengthen economic and technological ties with African nations, presents a unique opportunity for entrepreneurial universities. By fostering cross-border collaboration, supporting African startups, and sharing best practices in research commercialisation, Italian universities can contribute to sustainable innovation ecosystems in Africa.
This means co-developing educational programmes, facilitating student and faculty exchanges, and creating joint research initiatives that promote entrepreneurship as a tool for inclusive growth. With Africa’s rapidly growing population and expanding markets, collaborative innovation between Italy and Africa could be a game-changer, both for economic development and for solving global challenges together.
The future of entrepreneurship is now
Italy has always been a land of entrepreneurs. But in the face of today’s global challenges, entrepreneurship must evolve. Universities are central to this transformation, equipping young people not just with business acumen but with the mindset and tools to drive positive change.
By deepening reforms in higher education, leveraging European and international networks, and integrating entrepreneurship into research and innovation strategies, Italy can build on its entrepreneurial legacy. Thus, ensuring that its future entrepreneurs are not just wealth creators but problem-solvers for society.
The next step? Making sure that every student in Italy, regardless of discipline, sees entrepreneurship not just as a career path, but as a means to shape the future. In today’s world, the most successful entrepreneurs understand that business and purpose go hand in hand.
Find out more about ITA.CON here. Learn about the OECD’s work on SMEs and entrepreneurship.
The Ministry shapes Italy’s higher education and research system by setting national policies, funding universities and research bodies and promoting innovation. It supports fair access to study and values merit while ensuring quality and accreditation across institutions. MUR works to strengthen links between universities, research centres and businesses, encouraging collaboration and international partnerships. It also represents Italy in European and global research programmes and invests in scientific and cultural development. Through its work, the Ministry helps create an open, dynamic and globally connected academic community.