Introduction:

Entrepreneurship is a crucial issue in higher education since it promotes the generation of employment and the growth of the economy.

Objective:

Explore the factors that motivate university students to create companies, based on the factors identified in the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Entrepreneurial Intention Model (EIM).

Materials and Methods:

A tool for gathering primary information was applied to focus groups in three HEI in Medellín (Colombia), with students belonging to various programs and academic levels. This technique consisted in gathering information through a semi-structured group interview, which revolves around a theme proposed by the research team, through a space of opinion in which questions were raised around seven factors, namely: entrepreneurial intention, entrepreneurial behavior, past positive experiences in starting a business, subjective norm, tolerance to risk, convenience, and perceived viability of the business.

Results:

It was found that the entrepreneurship units of the universities are a fundamental motor for students' entrepreneurship, since they provide support not only in economic and administrative aspects, but even in aspects of motivational type.

Conclusion:

The space is open for the discussion that flaws in the entrepreneurial processes of the students may not be related to failures in the educational system, but to two key events: the little interest that existed for the issues of entrepreneurship during their stay in educational institutions and later, a motivation to undertake entrepreneurial activities associated with unemployment situations.

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