Turning Engineers Into Entrepreneurs And Transforming A Region

Engineers are excellent sources of high-growth potential entrepreneurial ventures with their creative product and technology ideas, in various disciplines. However, academia in general has not effectively developed this resource. This paper reviews contemporary literature on teaching of entrepreneurship and describes an innovative, holistic Engineering Entrepreneurship program backed by the resources and activities of a technology incubator. This program is designed to provide engineering students and researchers with tools and opportunities for entrepreneurial success, establish deeper and more meaningful community ties, and facilitate the incubation of technology-based start-ups. Packaging the “incubator concept” into a series of graduate, undergraduate and continuing education short courses is a unique aspect of UCF’s entrepreneurship program. This program has received very favorable reviews from local, state and national organizations. The entrepreneurship initiatives at UCF have had a positive impact on other universities and in making the Central Florida area a hub of high tech entrepreneurial activity.