Despite the considerable political and academic interest in concepts such as the triple helix of government, business and higher education as well as entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial universities, relatively little has been written about the role of the university in developing entrepreneurship. More specifically, the questions of how the university can contribute through education, entrepreneurial support and network functions and be entrepreneurial in its endeavours have lacked academic focus and rigour, particularly in relation to fostering entrepreneurial mindsets. This introductory article therefore provides a thorough discussion of the role of the university in entrepreneurship and then summarizes the contribution to that debate of the articles in this special issue of "Industry and Higher Education."