University-Centred Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Integrating Perspectives and Advancing Research Agendas

Purpose – This paper aims to 1) advance understanding of University-Centred Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (UCEEs) by synthesising disparate yet related perspectives, namely University Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, Academic Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, Technology Transfer Ecosystem, and the Triple Helix model; 2) develop a conceptual framework to illustrate the dynamic relationship among university-industry collaborations (UICs), capital resources, and firm-level perspectives; and 3) identify under-theorised areas and propose directions for future research. Design/methodology/approach – This study adopts a systematic review methodology guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The literature was sourced from the Scopus database, covering publications from 2010 to 2024. A total of 122 journal papers met the selection criteria.Findings – Our integrated perspective reveals how UCEEs emerge as dynamic environments where UICs mobilise capital resources to facilitate firms’ growth. Research on UCEEs spans macro-, meso-, micro-, and multi-level analyses, with a predominant focus on universities at the meso-level. Only 25 papers approach UCEEs from a firm perspective, overlooking firms’ roles as co-creators of UCEEs and as recipients and mobilisers of capital resources. Originality – This paper conceptualises UCEEs as ecosystems that integrate four related perspectives. While these perspectives stem from distinct yet overlapping viewpoints, their integration enables the development of a conceptual framework that amplifies the role of firms and their mobilisation of critical resources, reconceptualised as financial, intermediary, and human capital, through UICs.