The Academic Network of Entrepreneurship Educators in Poland (SEIPA) was initiated as a result of positive experience gained through training lecturers of Innovative Entrepreneurship in 2007-2008. The process of training of univerity lecturers, mostly from non-economical institutions, and the positive reaction of students who participated in pilot lectures on innovative entrepreneurship has paved the way for creating the Network. Another factor which facilitated the development of the Network is the high interest in a "sisterly" project "Dynamic Entrepreneurship" among students. The training and consulting actions during 2009-2010 are to create a snowball effect, which should attract more lecturers and institutions to the project. The intended result is to bring us closer to those European countries which lead in this respect. The Network is coordinated by Prof. Jerzy Cieslik, Director Center for Entrepreneurship, Kozminski University.
The purpose of SEIPA's actions is to create a solid educational base, which will facilitate the implementation of numerous forms of support for Innovative Entrepreneurship within the academic community. Within integrated model of support, we provide an educational offer to the entire academic community, especially to students. A portion of knowledge regarding Innovative Entrepreneurship, presented in an attractive manner, will encourage some students to setting up their own businesses, as an alternative career path and an idea for a better life after they graduate. Those students (candidates willing to become entrepreneurs) will be offered more or less advanced forms of support. At the most advanced level we have placed Academic Entrepreneurship which is strictly related to the activities of academic staff (faculty and PhD students). Commercialization of research and cooperation with the world of business requires the academics to demonstrate entrepreneurial behavior (i.e. to be proactive, innovative, accept risk). In its most advanced form such activity will have a positive effect on supply - increasing the number of young candidates for entrepreneurs, prepared on a basic level to start a dynamic, innovative business and also ready to use different, intense forms of support for such initiative (incubators, technology parks).