Empowering Students’ Entrepreneurship: A Guide to Designing a Student-run Pre-incubator Program
Truong, Thuy An (2024)
2024
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024052917342
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024052917342
Tiivistelmä
This thesis investigates the needs and challenges faced by higher education international students in Seinäjoki who aspire to create their own startups. It addresses these problems by designing a student-run pre-incubator program guide. The guide will enable the Seinäjoki Entrepreneurship Society (SeiES), the commissioner of the thesis, to plan and organize the pre-incubator program for the students.
The comprehensive literature review of the thesis covers the definitions of a startup, the factors behind successful startups, the reasons for startup failures, and a comparison of a startup support system involving pre-incubators, incubators, and accelerators. The thesis also looks at entrepreneurial support systems for university students in Finland.
Qualitative data was collected through interviews with three groups: international students, SeiES's board members, and organizers of similar startup support programs. Data collection included insights from Finnish incubator and accelerator programs, an analysis of international students' needs and challenges, and SeiES's operational capabilities. The conclusions offer a structured guide with a timeline for SeiES to develop and implement an effective pre-incubator program, highlighting the importance of participant feedback, skills development, and the program’s continuous improvement.
The comprehensive literature review of the thesis covers the definitions of a startup, the factors behind successful startups, the reasons for startup failures, and a comparison of a startup support system involving pre-incubators, incubators, and accelerators. The thesis also looks at entrepreneurial support systems for university students in Finland.
Qualitative data was collected through interviews with three groups: international students, SeiES's board members, and organizers of similar startup support programs. Data collection included insights from Finnish incubator and accelerator programs, an analysis of international students' needs and challenges, and SeiES's operational capabilities. The conclusions offer a structured guide with a timeline for SeiES to develop and implement an effective pre-incubator program, highlighting the importance of participant feedback, skills development, and the program’s continuous improvement.