Head of the Department of Entrepreneurship at the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow.
Associated with the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow since 2002.
Habilitated doctor in social sciences in the discipline of economics and finance (Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Faculty of Economics, Institute of Finance, 2021). He obtained a PhD in economics in the field of economics at the Cracow University of Economics (Faculty of Finance, 2007). A graduate of MA studies in economics at the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów (Faculty of Economics, 2002).
Academic lecturer, associate of the Center for Postgraduate Studies at UITM and trainer of the Cisco Entrepreneur Institute (CEI). Author of courses and teaching programs in Polish and English. Supervisor of nearly 300 diploma theses in the fields of economics, finance, and management. Author of scientific articles, monographs and book chapters, as well as reports, strategies, and expert studies in public finance. He conducts research in the field of entrepreneurship support by local government units, efficiency of the public sector and the public finance system. Associate of domestic and foreign universities and scientific institutions.
From 2002 to 2004, he worked at the Institute of Economics at the University of Information Technology and Management (UITM). Since 2009, he has been affiliated with the UITM Centre for Postgraduate Studies, where he is responsible for teaching, as well as the preparation and coordination of study programmes. From 2013 to 2016, he served as Head of the Department of Finance at the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów. From 2013 to 2022, he served as Director for Research and Science at the Institute for Financial Research and Analysis in Rzeszów. Since 2013, he has been a member of the Education Quality Team for Polish- and English-language programmes. Since 2019, he has served as a member of the Dean’s Council of the College of Management at UITM. From 2019 to 2023, he was a member of the UITM Senate, representing academic teaching staff.
Editor-in-Chief of the international scientific journal Financial Internet Quarterly, indexed in the Web of Science (ESCI) and possessing an Impact Factor (IF).
Seminar and Doctoral Dissertation Topics
The topics of seminars and doctoral dissertations will focus on four areas. 1. Entrepreneurship and local and regional development, considering its geography, temporality, and relational aspects. Research will concentrate on the dynamic interdependencies between contexts describing entrepreneurs and their activities, as well as on entrepreneurship shaped both endogenously and by external factors. 2. The relationship between entrepreneurship and place, analyzed through the lens of the country’s administrative divisions. Places co-shape entrepreneurship and serve as a reference point for spatial, relational, and socio-cognitive analyses, where social, economic, and cultural dynamics are manifested. 3. Regulatory and institutional conditions of entrepreneurship, resulting from public policies that influence the conditions, processes, and dynamics of entrepreneurial activities. 4. Relations between entrepreneurship and finance/financial policy, including the impact of the fiscal system, tax burdens, and support instruments applied by local governments on the creation of new firms and their location decisions.
Research areas:
1. Endogenous and exogenous factors influencing the development of entrepreneurship in regional and local systems.
2. Relational geography of entrepreneurship. Cooperation networks between business entities and local institutions.
3. Cultural and social determinants of entrepreneurship in different types of areas (urban, rural, peripheral).
4. Dynamics of entrepreneurial development in the context of socio‑economic and demographic changes.
5. The impact of social capital and interpersonal relations on the innovativeness of enterprises in regions.
6. The role of legal regulations and business‑support institutions in the formation and development of companies.
7. Regional differences in business conditions and the effectiveness of institutional support across the country.
8. The role of financial and non‑financial support instruments in new firm formation.
9. The effectiveness of local fiscal policies in creating a favorable environment for new firms.
10. Student entrepreneurship in the context of regional innovation ecosystems and institutional support.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5620-610X
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Danakol, S.H., Mickiewicz, T., Skica, T. (2026). Don’t stand so close to me: foreign and domestic incumbents and new business births, Journal of Economic Geography, 1-29, https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbag010
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Skica, T. Sipahi Döngül, E. (2026). Cybersecurity Leadership in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), In: Hamed Taherdoost (Ed.), Cybersecurity Leadership and Strategy for Resilience Innovation and Sustainable Protection, Cambridge Scholars Publishing (ss. 246-260). HARDBACK ISBN: 1-0364-7469-0, ISBN13: 978-1-0364-7469-0; EBOOK ISBN13: 978-1-0364-7470-6
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Skica, T., Mroczek, T., & Sipahi Döngül, E. (2026). Entrepreneurial competencies and the conceptual dimension of intentions: Insights from a hybrid machine learning approach. Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, 22(1), 36-56. https://doi.org/10.7341/20262213
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Skica, T., Planck, S., Tomasi, S., Maisch, B., Henry, C., Coelho Gabriel, B., Singer, S. and Stöckmann, Ch. (Eds). Special Issue: The New Social Contract for HEIs: Exploring Their Role in European Innovation Ecosystems, Triple Helix Journal (Impact Factor: 2.3, Scopus), https://doi.org/10.1163/21971927-12340020
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Güneri, S., Mróz, M., Polat, H., & Skica, T. (2025). A complex phenomenon of students’ entrepreneurial potential. International Entrepreneurship Review, 11(3), 29-64. https://doi.org/10.15678/IER.2025.1103.03
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Mroczek, T., Matusiewicz, Z. & Skica, T. (2025). Multi-Valued Dependency Analysis Methodology. A Novel Approach to Modeling Uncertainty. In: DataIn I. Luković, S. Bjeladinović, B. Delibašić, D. Barać, N. Iivari, E. Insfran, M. Lang, H. Linger, & C. Schneider (Eds.), Empowering the Interdisciplinary Role of ISD in Addressing Contemporary Issues in Digital Transformation: How Data Science and Generative AI Contributes to ISD (ISD2025 Proceedings). Belgrade, Serbia: University of Gdańsk, Department of Business Informatics & University of Belgrade, Faculty of Organizational Sciences. ISBN: 978-83-972632-1-5. https://doi.org/10.62036/ISD.2025.69
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Ociepa-Kicinska, E., Skica, T. & Mroczek, T. (2025). The Interplay of R&D, Digitalisation, and GDP: Insights from Fuzzy Logic Analysis. In: I. Luković, S. Bjeladinović, B. Delibašić, D. Barać, N. Iivari, E. Insfran, M. Lang, H. Linger, & C. Schneider (Eds.), Empowering the Interdisciplinary Role of ISD in Addressing Contemporary Issues in Digital Transformation: How Data Science and Generative AI Contributes to ISD (ISD2025 Proceedings). Belgrade, Serbia: University of Gdańsk, Department of Business Informatics & University of Belgrade, Faculty of Organizational Sciences. ISBN: 978-83-972632-1-5. https://doi.org/10.62036/ISD.2025.118
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Cywinski, L., Skica, T., & Hancock, A. (2025). Unlocking Entrepreneurial Spirit: Students’ Views on University Support for Business Ventures. Forum Scientiae Oeconomia, 13(4), 50–81. https://doi.org/10.23762/FSO_VOL13_NO4_3
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Skica, T., Mroczek, T., & Sipahi Döngül, E. (2026). Entrepreneurial competencies and the conceptual dimension of intentions: Insights from a hybrid machine learning approach. Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, 22(1), 36-56. https://doi.org/10.7341/20262213
- Skica, T., & Miszczyńska, K. (2025). Psychological well-being of self-employed women: European perspective. In E. S. Döngül, S. U. Arsu, R. Goel, & T. Singh (Eds.), Women-led innovation and entrepreneurship: Case studies of sustainable ventures and practices (pp. 22-63). Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Women-Led-Innovation-and-Entrepreneurship-Case-Studies-of-Sustainable-Ventures-and-Practices/DONGUL-Arsu-Goel-Singh/p/book/9781032840598
- Skica, T., Piątkowski, M., Abdić, A., & Lazović-Pita, L. (2025). What shapes entrepreneurial activity in the European Union? Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, 21(3), 77–100. https://doi.org/10.7341/20252134
- Skica, T., Ociepa-Kicińska, E., Rodzinka, J., & Czyżycki, R. (2025). It’s not just about the money: What actually promotes new firm formation? Evidence from Polish municipalities. Sustainability, 17, 5774. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17135774
- Skica, T., Ociepa-Kicińska, E., Czyżycki, R., Rodzinka, J., & Sauka, A. (2024). Comparing municipal entrepreneurship support: Insights from Polish and Latvian municipalities. Rozwój Regionalny i Polityka Regionalna, 18(68), 173–193. https://doi.org/10.14746/rrpr.2024.68.12
- Skica, T., Lazović-Pita, L., & Abdić, A. (2024). Measuring efficiency at sub-central level: A methodological contribution. Studia Regionalne i Lokalne, 1(95), 7–20. https://doi.org/10.7366/1509499519501
- Skica, T., Rodzinka, J., Golejewska, A., & Suchanek, M. (2023). Do LGUs’ non-financial support instruments matter to new firm formation? Ekonomia i Prawo. Economics and Law, 23(2), 311–338. https://doi.org/10.12775/EiP.2024.016
- Skica, T., Rodzinka, J., Ociepa-Kicińska, E., & Czyżycki, R. (2023). Entrepreneurship support instruments in coastal municipalities of Poland and Latvia: Scope of application and effectiveness. Studia Maritima, 36, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.18276/sm.2023.36-03
- Skica, T., Miszczyńska, K., Miszczyński, P., & Leśniowska-Gontarz, M. (2023). New firms formation in medical, creative and agri-food sectors as a function of local conditions and budget policy of Polish communes. Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska, Sectio H–Oeconomia, 56(4), 161–183. https://doi.org/10.17951/h.2022.56.4.161-183
- Skica, T., Rodzinka, J., Ociepa-Kicińska, E., & Czyżycki, R. (2023). What works and what does not work in local entrepreneurship support policy? Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, 11(3), 163–180. https://doi.org/10.15678/EBER.2023.110310
- Skica, T., Mikuš, J., & Holienka, M. (2022). Financial literacy and new business entry. Financial Internet Quarterly, 18(2), 42–66. https://doi.org/10.2478/fiqf-2022-0012
- Skica, T., Rodzinka, J., Ociepa-Kicińska, E., & Mroczek, T. (2022). How government size optimization affects European economies. WSEAS Transactions on Business and Economics, 19, 647–659. https://doi.org/10.37394/23207.2022.19.57
- Lazović-Pita, L., Šćeta, L., & Skica, T. (2022). Transition and efficiency: How efficient are Polish local communes in terms of the delivery of local public services? Forum Scientiae Oeconomia, 10(4), 95–115. https://doi.org/10.23762/FSO_VOL10_NO4_5
- Skica, T., Rodzinka, J., & Ociepa-Kicińska, E. (2021). LGUs type and organizational forms of entrepreneurship support: Case study of Poland. European Research Studies Journal, 24(3), 367–385. https://doi.org/10.35808/ersj/2359
- Skica, T., & Rodzinka, J. (2021). Local government policy towards the financial instruments supporting entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, 9(3), 135–147. https://doi.org/10.15678/EBER.2021.090309
- Skica, T., Mickiewicz, T., Sauka, A., & Timofejevs, A. (2021). Rola samorządowych instrumentów i samoorganizacji gospodarczej i społecznej w generowaniu przedsiębiorczości w Polsce i na Łotwie. Samorząd Terytorialny, 11(371), 10–25.
- Skica, T. (2020). Wpływ polityki gmin na rozwój lokalny: Cele strategiczne, polityki budżetowe oraz instrumentalizacja wsparcia. Warszawa–Rzeszów: Wyższa Szkoła Informatyki i Zarządzania w Rzeszowie & Oficyna Wydawnicza ASPRA. ISBN: 978-83-66551-15-2, 978-83-8209-064-2.
- Skica, T., & Rodzinka, J. (Eds.). (2020). Instrumentalization of entrepreneurship support in Poland, Estonia and Slovakia: Local government, central administration and public institutions. Rzeszów–London–Szczecin: University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow & Scientific Publishing House IVG.
Conducted courses:
Conducted courses: Fundamentals of Finance, Economics of Entrepreneurship Organization, Public Finance Management, Microeconomics, Fundamentals of Macroeconomics, Entrepreneurship in Practice, Academic Writting Skills, Diploma Seminar (Bachelor), Diploma Seminar (Master).
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Artykuł pt. “Podkarpacka zbrojeniówka dostanie miliardy. „Największy impuls od dekad” https://forsal.pl/kraj/bezpieczenstwo/artykuly/11245279,podkarpacka-zbrojeniowka-dostanie-miliardy-najwiekszy-impuls-od-dekad.html (z 11.05.2026).
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Artykuł pt. „Ekspert: SAFE to największy od dekad impuls dla przemysłu obronnego na Podkarpaciu” https://www.wnp.pl/rynki/ekspert-safe-to-najwiekszy-od-dekad-impuls-dla-przemyslu-obronnego-na-podkarpaciu,1061021.html (z 11.05.2026).
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Artykuł pt. „Polska podpisała umowę SAFE. Rynek pracy zareagował błyskawicznie” https://biznes.interia.pl/gospodarka/news-polska-podpisala-umowe-safe-rynek-pracy-zareagowal-blyskawic,nId,23476337 (z 11.05.2026).
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Artykuł pt. „SAFE z podpisem. W ciągu doby przybyło 1400 ofert pracy” https://www.europesays.com/pl/423022/ (z 11.05.2026).
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Artykuł pt. „Miliardy euro na zbrojenia. Podkarpackie zakłady sercem programu SAFE” https://rzeszow-news.pl/miliardy-euro-na-zbrojenia-podkarpackie-zaklady-sercem-programu-safe/ (z 11.05.2026).
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Artykuł pt. „Rzeszów/ Badanie WSIiZ: 57 proc. studentów deklaruje potencjał biznesowy, 7 proc. chce założyć firmę na studiach” https://naukawpolsce.pl/aktualnosci/news%2C113774%2Crzeszow-badanie-wsiiz-57-proc-studentow-deklaruje-potencjal-biznesowy-7 (z 04.07.2026).
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Artykuł pt. „Chcą własnego biznesu, ale boją się porażki. Zaskakujący raport rzeszowskiej uczelni o pokoleniu Z” https://rzeszow-news.pl/chca-wlasnego-biznesu-ale-boja-sie-porazki-zaskakujacy-raport-rzeszowskiej-uczelni-o-pokoleniu-z/ (z 04.07.2026).
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Artykuł pt. „Młodzi wierzą w swój biznes, ale boją się startu. Raport WSIiZ pokazuje skalę obaw” https://24rzeszow.pl/artykul/9770-mlodzi-wierza-w-swoj-biznes-ale-boja-sie-startu-raport-wsiiz-pokazuje-skale-obaw (z 04.07.2026).
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WIADOMOŚCI EKONOMICZNE Radia Zet „Ponad połowa studentów uważa, że ma predyspozycje do prowadzenia własnego biznesu”, https://player.radiozet.pl/Podcasty/Wiadomosci-ekonomiczne/Wiadomosci-ekonomiczne-z-godz.-15-001564/(offset)/2 (03.07.2026)

Contact data
Dr hab. Tomasz Skica, prof. WSIiZ
Department of Entrepreneurship
e-mail: tskica@wsiz.edu.pl
35-225 Rzeszów, ul. Sucharskiego 2
Room RA 112
Phone 17/ 866 11 73
Office hours