The University Business Incubator : Exploring Digital Capabilities while using Information as an Asset

Abstract: The University of this interest and its library division is involved in a major transformation process, aiming to enhance the learning experience for students by modernizing learning spaces, enhancing the personalized learning, and extending support for faculty and student scholarship. One part of the transformation consist of rearranging the library space and its services and introducing a new media based faculty consisting media related career paths. During the investigation and analysis of the library, we have looked into a wide range of data including history of the library, strategic plan of the university academic technology blueprint, academic plan, the media program, reports on workshops and meeting held by the authority of library, etc. provided by the university. In order to encapsulate more information and insight, we have conducted a couple of meetings with the head of the library and the head of library IT. By considering the stakeholders’ interests, we examine the status quo and illustrate the situation in form of a Rich Picture. By means of the Soft Systems Methodology we try to identify potential relationships between the new media faculty and the library services and eventually finalized our examination by recommending additional value enhancing services. After rigorous analyzing all of the data, specifically strategic mission of the university and library, and the media program, we recommend to establish a Business Incubator, which will enhance core capabilities of a student including creativity , managerial, and analytical ability as well as provide essential guidance, supports, and tools to students to implement their idea. The suggested Business Incubator will act as a bridge between academic learning and the real world applications. Finally, we recommend specific services including market research and assistance, access to networking and funding information, center for research and development, and Entrepreneurship and innovating education forum, which will enhance digital capabilities of students/participants and fulfill some of the core strategic objectives of the library and the university as well.