Potential and prospects for development of academic entrepreneurship in Poland

The development of knowledge-based economy has forced - especially in countries with advanced industries - profound changes in the operation of all scientific institutions, including higher education, which is one of the most important intellectual assets available to national economies. Triggering the entrepreneurial potential of academic staff and opening to business of university research laboratories has become a primary objective of scientific and technical policy in many countries, including Poland.This article aims to present the state of academic entrepreneurship in Poland, including the factors determining its development. The first section discusses the theoretical issues related to the essence of academic entrepreneurship and the results of selected research and analytical work on issues of development of academic entrepreneurship in Poland. In the further part of the article, in relation to the discussed research, presented are conclusions and recommendations on how to best support the development of academic entrepreneurship. The article uses the reports and expertise resulting from research conducted in this field.