The Design of Sustainable Academic Entrepreneurship Ecosystems for AI-Driven Venture Success

About

The research team led by Svafa Grönfeldt (MIT) and Frank Pawlitschek (HPI) investigates how academic institutions can serve as fertile ecosystems for digital ventures. As artificial intelligence becomes a central value proposition in emerging startups, the project explores how digital and spatial affordances within universities can be intentionally designed to enable sustainable venture creation and scaling.

Through a series of empirical studies at innovation hubs such as HPI Engine and MITdesignX, the project maps out the role of university accelerators, digital infrastructures, and collaborative environments in fostering entrepreneurial success. By combining case study research, ecosystem analysis, and design science methods, the team aims to develop frameworks and models that guide institutions in building effective, hybrid (digital-physical) venture support systems.

With a focus on translating academic excellence into scalable impact, Digital by Design offers strategic insights into how universities can evolve from knowledge centers into launchpads for high-impact, AI-enabled innovation.