Entrepreneurial Capacities and Knowledge Development Processes – insights from a research project –

Abstract

The importance to enhance entrepreneurial capacities and knowledge development in is part of the Europe 2030 strategy with the aim to advance a European entrepreneurial culture. Consequently, entrepreneurship education is considered essential and thus encouraged by European Commission. Europe is facing a high rate of unemployment according to International Labour Organization (2022) and thus entrepreneurship capacities need to be developed as a possible way for facing unemployment. To address this problem and identify the main entrepreneurial capacities and knowledge processes to develop those capacities a literature review and a focus group were performed. The results show that the ten students participating in the focus group identified as the most urgent entrepreneurial capacities to be improved in young entrepreneurs are critical thinking, technical knowledge, problem solving capacity, relational and communication capacities, and team working. Regarding the most relevant knowledge development processes to promote successful entrepreneurship, they suggested education and training for the practical transition from the idea to its realization.