Urve Venesaar

Urve Venesaar is a Professor at Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) in the School of Business and Governance, Department of Business Administration. She has held various academic and administrative roles, including Vice-Dean for Research (2004–2016) and leadership positions in entrepreneurship education initiatives. Her work focuses on entrepreneurship policy, education, and regional development. She has extensive international collaborations, including fellowships at Essex University and Aarhus University Business School.

Education: Doctor of Philosophy (1986) from the Ukrainian Research Institute of Trade and Catering, and a Bachelor’s in Chemistry from Tallinn Technical University (1967). She has also undertaken leadership programs at EFMD and EURAM.

Research Interests: Entrepreneurship education frameworks, innovation ecosystems, policy for SMEs, and regional economic dynamics. She emphasizes integrating global best practices into academic programs and fostering entrepreneurial universities through open innovation and internationalization.

Key Projects: Principal investigator for initiatives like 'Systematic Development of Entrepreneurial Mindset' (2016–2018) and 'Crossing Boundaries: Knowledge Transfer' (2012–2016). She has led over 20 funded projects, focusing on entrepreneurship, innovation, and Baltic Sea region collaboration.

Awards: Estonia’s National Science Award in Social Sciences (1994). Active in global networks like the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) and the European University Network on Entrepreneurship (ESU).

Labs & Teams: Pioneered innovation laboratories in post-socialist universities, emphasizing open innovation platforms and action research. Collaborates with institutions across Europe on entrepreneurship ecosystems.