Academic entrepreneurs or entrepreneurial academics

Quiz: Which one of these faculty members is the innovator?

One publishes a book so students can learn object-oriented systems analysis and design in a highly practical and accessible way.

Another invents a miscoscope so every teaching lab can enjoy advanced imaging at an affordable price.

Answer: Both. But most would pick the latter.

Martin Meyer, in "Academic entrepreneurs or entrepreneurial academics? Research-based ventures and public support mechanisms" argues one may indeed distinguish at least two breeds of innovation agents at a university: the ‘entrepreneurial academic’ and the ‘academic entrepreneur’, the latter being the archetypical start-up entrepreneur and the former resembling the ‘innovative’ faculty member.

Innovators do not necessarily have to set up a fast–growing company but can use other avenues to create impact. Both types of innovators move the university towards being a significant actor on its own terms.