Entrepreneurial Cooperation Model between University and SMEs: A Case Study in Iran

The purpose of this research is to design and explain an entrepreneurial cooperation model between a university and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The main research question is as follows: What are the elements and conditions of development for entrepreneurial cooperation between the university and SMEs? In this study, a qualitative research method called grounded theory has been used. Data collection was conducted through a semi-structured interview, observation and, afterwards, library studies. The number of interviews continued until theoretical saturation was reached and, in each interview, the coding was modified and edited compared to the previous interview. Based on this model, the goals and motivations of entrepreneurial cooperation were introduced as the causal conditions, entrepreneurial cooperation between the university and SMEs was introduced as the main phenomenon, environmental issues and the entrepreneurship cooperation ecosystem were introduced as the background conditions, the context and infrastructure of entrepreneurial cooperation were introduced as the mediator condition and entrepreneurial cooperation consequence was introduced as the model consequence. The strategies of the entrepreneurship cooperation model between the university and SMEs are as follows: strategies related to the private sector and strategies related to the non-private sector.