Innovation Potential as a New Element in University Theses

Few theses drive technological development, and even fewer contribute to innovation. This is partly due to a gap in the structure of research reports. This study aims to propose the inclusion of “Innovation Potential” (IP) as a new element to bridge this gap in thesis structures, aligning with the open innovation model. Qualitative research was conducted to develop a tool for evaluating the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of theses. This was complemented by a quantitative approach to identify the most frequent TRL and IP levels. The sample included specialized literature and 354 undergraduate and postgraduate theses from a local university. The results showed that the theses predominantly fall into TRL1 and TRL2, highlighting the need to integrate IP into thesis structures. It was concluded that the IP should be placed in either the Results or Recommendations sections.