The increasing frequency of environmental disasters has shown the urgent need for sustainability, which partially was behind the formulation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Many types of organisations worldwide have aimed to implement these goals, recognising the crucial role of regional development to achieve the goals. Here, universities play a significant role in advancing sustainability as innovation hubs, particularly in connection with SDG9. This engagement is encapsulated within the framework of the entrepreneurial university, which extends beyond teaching and research to encompass regional development and sustainability. Central to this concept is entrepreneurial architecture, which encompasses structure, strategy, leadership, systems and culture, hence facilitating organisational adaptation for universities to fulfil their third mission. This paper explores how Brazilian and German universities integrate entrepreneurial architecture into their discourse and practices concerning sustainable innovation. Through qualitative research with bibliographic sources, document analysis and interviews, it presents how Brazilian and German universities exhibit the potential for sustainable innovation aligned with entrepreneurial architecture principles. Although Brazilian universities emphasise culture, strategy and leadership, their German counterparts have focused more on structure and strategy. This study offers theoretical insights into the stratification of entrepreneurial architecture elements, enhancing the understanding of university advancement towards the third mission, alongside practical recommendations for universities to increase their sustainable innovation efforts.