About Us

The Entrepreneurship Section of ACEDE was officially established in 2001, although the first meeting of this working group took place at the Autonomous University of Barcelona in 1999. Initially, the Section was called Entrepreneurial Function and Business Creation, until 2020, when it changed its name to the current one.

The Section is made up of more than two hundred researchers who study the entrepreneurial phenomenon.

The main objective of the Section is to promote research, teaching, and knowledge transfer in the field of entrepreneurship. Likewise, the Section aims to strengthen collaboration with other academic networks, public administrations, and other stakeholders in the area of entrepreneurship.

The Section pursues the following specific objectives:

• To promote the exchange of experiences, knowledge, and resources among its members in order to facilitate teaching, research, and dissemination activities related to business creation.
• To facilitate interaction with agents and organizations from non-university sectors, in order to achieve stronger links between knowledge transfer, research, and teaching in entrepreneurship and the needs of the business sector and society in general.
• To contribute to and participate in the design of policies to support and foster entrepreneurial activity.
• To analyze entrepreneurship management activities carried out at universities (officers responsible for entrepreneurship, vice-rectors, vice-deans for entrepreneurship), in order to share experiences and strengthen actions in this field.
• To promote collaboration with the Spanish Entrepreneurship Observatory and the GEM, GUESSS, and PSED projects, among other international research projects in entrepreneurship.
• To encourage critical analysis and collaboration among Section members in order to strengthen academic activities in entrepreneurship developed within universities.

Members of the Section have access to the following benefits:

• A reduced registration fee for the annual International Workshop on Entrepreneurship Research, jointly organized with the Spanish Entrepreneurship Observatory.
• Participation in the Section’s working meetings, held in conjunction with the annual ACEDE Conference and the Section’s Workshop. In addition, an intermediate meeting is organized every January.
• The possibility of submitting news items for publication in the ACEDE Newsletter, in accordance with the applicable rules, and on the Section’s profiles on different social media platforms.
• Preferential access to the work carried out by the different working committees of the Section.
• Access to the various workshops and seminars organized by the Section.

Any ACEDE member may join the Section. To do so, they must access the members’ area of the ACEDE website and select this option under “Profile data”.

Current Executive Board

President: Nuria Calvo Babío (Universidade da Coruña)
Vice-President: Inés Ruiz de la Rosa (Universidad de La Laguna)
Secretary: Ariadna Monje Amor (Universidade da Coruña)

Achievement of the Section’s objectives is addressed through the work of four specialized committees in the following areas: teaching, research, transfer, and management. This organizational structure also includes the Young Researchers Committee, ECN-Entrepreneurship.

Teaching Innovation Committee

Coordinator: Juan José Nájera (juanjose.najera@urjc.es), Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

Committee members:
Salustiano Martínez Fierro (Universidad de Cádiz),
Vanesa Solis Rodríguez (Universidad de Oviedo),
María Gracia García Soto (ULPGC),
Marcos Carchano Alcaraz (UCLM),
Thais González Torres (URJC),
Ana Labella Fernández (Universidad de Almería).

Objectives:

• Creation of the Observatory on University Education in Entrepreneurship.
• Creation of a repository of best-practice teaching experiences aimed at fostering entrepreneurial attitudes among university students.
• Creation of an online repository of teaching materials related to entrepreneurship.

Research and Internationalization Committee

Coordinator: Ana Pérez Luño (anaperezluno@upo.es), Universidad Pablo de Olavide

Members:
Victor Martin-Sanchez (University of Southern Denmark),
Adriana Pérez Encinas (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid),
Sara Enrique (Universitat de València),
Sebastián Aparicio (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona),
Silvia Sosa Cabrera (Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria),
Sara Arbelo Pérez (Universidad de La Laguna),
Cristina Pérez Pérez (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos),
Esther Hormiga (Universitat de Barcelona),
Marcos Antón Tejón (Universidad de Málaga),
Vanessa Campos (Universitat de València),
Tatiana López (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona).

Objective: To support and disseminate entrepreneurship research in Spain.

Management and Knowledge Transfer Committee

Coordinator: Guillermina Tormo Carbo (gtormo@omp.upv.ea), Universitat Politècnica de València

Committee members:
Iñaki Peña Legazkue (Deusto Business School),
Gabriel García Martínez (Universitat Politècnica de València),
Domingo Fernández Uclés (Universidad de Jaén),
Celia Díaz Portugal (Universidad de Burgos),
María Pemartín (Universidad de Murcia),
Inmaculada Jaén Figueroa (Universidad de Sevilla).

Objective: To analyze and promote better understanding of knowledge-transfer actions between universities and firms in the field of entrepreneurship.

Young Researchers Committee

Coordinator: Alejandro Piñeiro Marcos (alepinei@ucm.es), Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Committee members:
Diana Seguí Mas (Universitat de València),
Iván Sosa Gómez (Universidad Camilo José Cela),
Marcos Antón Tejón (Universitat de les Illes Balears),
Marcos Carchano Alcaraz (Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha),
Sara Enrique Belda (Universitat de València),
Sufia Mohand Amar (Universidad de Granada).

Objectives:

• To promote entrepreneurship research at early stages: doctoral and recent postdoctoral (< 5 years after thesis defense).
• To identify needs and add value to the community of early-career researchers through collaboration with senior researchers and with the other Section committees, strengthening research skills and fostering long-term links.
• To promote training and networking activities (seminars, meetings, groups).
• To disseminate relevant information and opportunities (conferences, calls, research stays).
• To serve as a bridge with ECN-ACEDE, ensuring consistency with its general objectives and providing the specific perspective of entrepreneurship.

Previous Executive Boards

2023–2025
President: Rafael Ventura Fernández (Universidad de Málaga)
Vice-President: Nuria Begoña Calvo Babío (Universidade da Coruña)
Secretary: Sofía Louise Martínez (Universidad de Málaga)

2022–2023
President: Francisco Javier García Rodríguez (Universidad de La Laguna)
Vice-President: Elíes Seguí Mas (Universidad Politécnica de Valencia)
Secretary: Esperanza Gil Soto (Universidad de La Laguna)

2020–2022
President: David Urbano (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
Vice-President: Iñaki Peña (Universidad de Deusto)
Secretary: Sebastián Aparicio (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)

2018–2020 – Entrepreneurship
President: Rosa M. Batista Canino (University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria)
Vice-President: Iñaki Peña Legazkue (University of Deusto)
Secretary: Ana Isabel Lemes Hernández (University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria)

2016–2018 – Entrepreneurial Function and Business Creation
President: Juan J. Jiménez Moreno (University of Castilla-La Mancha)
Vice-President: Rosa M. Batista Canino (University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria)
Secretary: Matilde Ruiz Arroyo (University of Granada)

2014–2016 – Entrepreneurial Function and Business Creation
President: Concepción López Fernández (University of Cantabria)
Vice-President: Juan J. Jiménez Moreno (University of Castilla-La Mancha)
Secretary: Ana Bojica (University of Granada)

2012–2014 – Entrepreneurial Function and Business Creation
President: Mª del Mar Fuentes Fuentes (University of Granada)
Vice-President: Mª Concepción López Fernández (University of Cantabria)
Secretary: Ana Mª Bojica Bojica (University of Granada)

2010–2012 – Entrepreneurial Function and Business Creation
President: José Mª Gómez Gras (Miguel Hernández University)
Vice-President: Mª del Mar Fuentes Fuentes (University of Granada)
Secretary: Ana Mª Bojica Bojica (University of Granada)

2008–2010 – Entrepreneurial Function and Business Creation
President: Mariano Nieto Antolín (University of León)
Vice-President: Rosa M. Batista-Canino (University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria)
Secretary: Mª del Mar Fuentes Fuentes (University of Granada)

2006–2008 – Entrepreneurial Function and Business Creation
President: José Ruiz Navarro (University of Cádiz)
Secretary: David Urbano Pulido (UAB)

2002–2006 – Entrepreneurial Function and Business Creation
President: José Mª Veciana Vergés (UAB)
Secretary: David Urbano Pulido (UAB)

December 2001: approval of the creation of the Sections within ACEDE and establishment of the Section “Business Creation and Entrepreneurial Function”.

1999–2001 – Meeting of ACEDE Business Creation professors
President: José Mª Veciana Vergés (UAB)
Secretary: David Urbano Pulido (UAB)