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This paper aims to analyse the university experience of a social laboratory that mixes science and art to instruct communities of sustainability practice in heterogeneous contexts through interpretive audio-visual ethnography and cinematographic language.

The research approach was qualitative; data were triangulated through the thorough revision of the literature reported on this praxis, the auto-ethnography of the founder and CEO of this social laboratory and the systematization of the training categories from their documentaries. Furthermore, the analysis of this laboratory as a social innovation considered five categories, namely, critical interaction, shared values, social responsibility, digital competences and sustainability practices, and the projects profile was contrasted with the Sustainable Development Goals to show its sustainable approach.

The results showed that the best scored sustainability university communities are interdisciplinary. Moreover, the mix of science and art to train practice communities is a social innovation model that can go beyond university walls to influence its environment in dissimilar and socially disadvantaged territories.

This research is based on a case from a Mexican university in a specific cultural context. Although the conclusions cannot be generalized, this case contributes to the need for pertinent complementarity between various classical methodological possibilities which, when articulated, enhance the research work.

The results could have practical implications if these are used as inputs in the development of university programmes with an interdisciplinary approach to sustainability training.

This research proposes this experience as an attempt to understand how to promote sustainable education among university communities that influence territories with wide social gaps.

The main aim of this chapter is to analyze the history of entrepreneurship in the footwear cluster during the twentieth century and the dawn of the twenty-first century, around the actions of the manufacturers installed in the city of León, Guanajuato, Mexico. The methodological process was triangulated by three forms of approach to the object of study: the first consisted on the literature review; the second was a longitudinal analysis of socioeconomic and technological indicators; the third was the application of in-depth interviews to five footwear manufacturing entrepreneurs. The main finding was the collaborative model of the footwear cluster in the face of crisis cycles that has historically been facing; this allows to understand the historical challenges of entrepreneurship in the cluster, as well as public policies that have influenced its behavior pattern and the strategies that have outlined its entrepreneurship model.

The chapter analyzed the conditions and challenges of entrepreneurship in Latin America. Looking at different stages of the Latin American context (ancient civilizations, postindependence/revolutions movements, neoliberalism), we argue that entrepreneurship in the region is under a fourth wave (the present globalization/geopolitical processes), flowing all across the region and manifests itself in different forms. Furthermore, it can be identified as a breaking point from the almost linear importation of Western positions, and proposing must be analyzed under a new perspective, where the future should be built around the different facets, positives and negatives, each of the waves had plunged into our societies. It is highlighted that new positions can be originated, and regional theories and methods can give a fresh, deep transformation and more precise understanding of Latin America in the present era, enriching the public policies in its diverse territories. The chapter invites to make a critical reflection to unleash entrepreneurship in the region, a millennial potential.

The chapter analyzed the conditions and challenges of the innovation in Latin America, and the historical trend in its study in the framework of this handbook. The transformative and inclusive approach of the innovation was evidenced as the most significant ascendent trend in the region. Furthermore, this was identified as a breaking point of the linear individualism of the entrepreneurship and the innovation in Latin America due to this type of innovation that requires high levels of collaboration and strong institutional leaderships. It was highlighted that the major challenge of recovery in the region should be accompanied by a deep transformation in the quality of education because the systematic generation of innovation implies capabilities rather than wills. The chapter closes with a critical reflexion of the phenomenon, the new lines of research in the region, and its implications.

The chapter aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the entrepreneurship training programmes implemented in public and private universities in the entity of Guanajuato, located in the central part of Mexico. A simple random sample of 449 students who participated in these programmes was collected. The survey data were statistically analysed to determine if the participants’ capability of agency and the influence of their closest social groups – university, family and regional socioenvironmental – increase the entrepreneurial intentions of university students. Results showed that the capability of agency was directly improved after participation in the programme, while entrepreneurial intentions were indirectly influenced by the institutional and business environment.

The aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of the implementation of a psychological assistance program on new entrepreneurs in a business incubator of a public university located in an emerging economy. The methodology was an intrinsic case study through qualitative approach. The findings suggest that this program had a positive impact on new entrepreneurs; it promoted a space for reflection, motivation and perseverance; it encouraged them to handle different emotions or factors to achieve its business targets. Thus, it helped them to improve the chances of success of their start-ups by learning and strengthening key psychological entrepreneurial competences.

The chapter analyzed the knowledge transfer processes of the Latin American academy to the actors in its environment, and the Science, Technology, and Innovation policy that facilitates or inhibits the processes of generation and use of this university knowledge. The cases of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico were analyzed to understand the practice of the university knowledge transfer model at different levels – strategic, organizational, and operational – and the complexities involved in the process. It was evidenced by the urgent demand for the transformation of the Latin American University through sustainability and digitalization approaches to be a catalyst for development in the region. The chapter closes with a critical analysis of the phenomenon, future lines of research, and implications of the praxis.