University Startup Clinics: A New Approach to Project-Oriented Education and Entrepreneurial Competences Development

Universities are an integral player of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Today, almost all universities have startup centers, creative or innovation hubs, co-working spaces, etc. in their structure. A significant part of startups is born in universities and undergo their first testing there. Ukrainian universities train students in wide range of specialities and employ specialists from various fields, which allows to create university startup clinics, including Law Clinic, Business Model Innovation Clinic, Finance Clinic, HR & Culture Clinic, Sales & Marketing Clinic, as well as Soft Skills Clinic and Tech & Digitalization Clinic. The main tasks for each department are disclosed. For the launch of such clinics, a structured algorithm (“action protocol”) is proposed in the paper. The goal is to test various projects in their early stages (stages of uncertainty). The lecturer-student-business interaction is outlined. In sum a favourable environment for the creation of innovative projects is generated. The launching of “multi specialised” startup clinics in Ukrainian universities is a vital step for reforming the education system and a practical step towards the introduction of practical-oriented training as well as raising the impact of Ukrainian entrepreneurial ecosystem locally and globally.