ABSTRACT

The demand for higher graduate employability provided the impetus for many higher education institutions (HEIs) in developing countries to establish innovation centres which aimed at improving institutional research, industry collaboration and the innovation portfolio. However, despite emulating best practices from the US and UK, HEIs in developing countries are fraught with immense difficulties in leading and managing innovation centres due to the lack of context-based and empirically driven frameworks for successful implementation. This chapter explores the current landscape of research literature in innovation centres by examining a range of peer-reviewed research articles published from 2000 onwards. The overarching goal of this chapter is to assess the extent to which research has permeated this area within the context of developing countries. This chapter concludes with a framework for establishing and leading innovation centres that supports graduate employability, emphasizing their roles in enhancing student entrepreneurial skills.