Identifying the Catalysts of Students’ Entrepreneurial Intentions: The Role of Creativity and Digital Innovation

The study aims to investigate the association between education of digital creativity and innovation and entrepreneurial intention (EI) using the Theory of Planned Behavior. The study employed a sample of 78 students enrolled at the University of Salerno in Italy, across various courses of study. To test the proposed empirical framework and hypotheses, the study adopts a quantitative approach through a survey and OLS Regression Analysis. The investigation revealed that the education of digital creativity and innovation plays a significant role in the formation of students’ entrepreneurial intentions. This relationship is mediated by the effects that the classical antecedents of intentions, according to the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), have on behavioral intentions. The study contributes to entrepreneurship research on student entrepreneurial intention, also providing practical suggestions for educators and policymakers who aim to enhance the effectiveness of entrepreneurship discourse through new digital tools. This research stands out as the first study, to our knowledge, in the field of entrepreneurship determinants, shedding light on the pivotal role of education of digital creativity and innovation in shaping entrepreneurial intentions among university students. The study emphasizes the need for more comprehensive digital creativity and innovation education in academic curricula to boost student entrepreneurial activities and mindsets, encouraging future research on the long-term impacts of such education on entrepreneurial success. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.