This paper discusses the key role of universities in promoting the entrepreneurial spirit by training students to start or join a small business. A national survey by the London Business School found that 18 to 24 year olds showed the most positive attitudes to enterprise and a high proportion in this age group expect to be running their own business in the next three years. To help further develop an enterprise culture, five northeast universities are supporting students and graduate enterprise projects through the NE Center for University Enterprise. It operates through laboratory space provided by companies where individuals can carry out market research, business planning, ideas development pre-testing and pre-trading, as well as benefiting from shared offices, support services, networking opportunities and access to laboratories and technical facilities and media and legal and professional advice. Overall, the past 10 years have seen a six-fold increase in the number of first degree graduates bec