University-centred entrepreneurial ecosystems: integrating perspectives and advancing research agendas

Purpose This paper aims to (1) advance understanding of University-Centred Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (UCEEs) by synthesising disparate yet related perspectives, namely University Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, Academic Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, Technology Transfer Ecosystem, and the Triple Helix model; (2) develop a conceptual framework to illustrate the dynamic relationship among university-industry collaborations (UICs), capital resources, and firm-level perspectives; and (3) identify under-theorised areas and propose directions for future research. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a systematic review methodology guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The literature was sourced from the Scopus database, covering publications from 2010 to 2024. A total of 122 journal papers met the selection criteria. Findings Our integrated perspective reveals how UCEEs emerge as dynamic environments where UICs mobilise capital resources to facilitate firms' growth. Research on UCEEs spans macro-, meso-, micro-, and multi-level analyses, with a predominant focus on universities at the meso-level. Only 25 papers approach UCEEs from a firm perspective, overlooking firms' roles as co-creators of UCEEs and as recipients and mobilisers of capital resources. Originality/value This paper conceptualises UCEEs as ecosystems that integrate four related perspectives. While these perspectives stem from distinct yet overlapping viewpoints, their integration enables the development of a conceptual framework that amplifies the role of firms and their mobilisation of critical resources, reconceptualised as financial, intermediary, and human capital, through UICs.