Author(s): Sebastian Walther, Stephan Haubold, Renata Dobrucka
Universities with chemistry faculties are expected to produce chempreneurs. Chempreneurs, in turn, are expected to change the chemical industry and transform it towards sustainability. Chemistry students are 54 % less likely to start a business than the average German student. Which is why we conducted a comparative study among chemistry students of all grades in Germany to determine the effect of factors on start-up behaviour. Previous evaluations through comparative analyses of the student samples show significant differences in all areas such as subjective norm, foundation knowledge, perceptions, intentions and motives, and barriers related to the students' culture. By including student samples with significant differences in age gender, origin, migration background, nationality and hypotheses about the influence of these factors on the intentions, perceptions, motives and barriers of both groups were developed and tested. A random sample of chemistry students from Germany was included. We found a number of significant effects in relation to their start-up behaviour and the influencing factors. We discuss the results and suggest new approaches for the education of chemistry students and for future research approaches.