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H2020Doctoral network2016–2021

RUNIN · The Role of Universities in Innovation and Regional Development

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2016-09-01 → 2021-02-28
EU contribution
€3,709,815
Participants
16
Scheme
MSCA-ITN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

The Role of Universities in Innovation and Regional Development

This project addresses a core concern of policy-makers across Europe of how regions can prosper in the rapidly changing global economy. Faced with increasing competition from low-cost producers, the answer for most regions in Europe is the development of a knowledge-based economy – a strategy that is enshrined in EU strategy through the Europe 2020 agenda. This puts universities in a key role as promoters of innovation and regional development in most regions – as producers of new knowledge, of a highly skilled workforce, and as transmitters of knowledge to firms, policy-makers and the general public. In assuming this role, universities are taking on a mission to contribute to innovation and knowledge-based economic development in their regions. Universities are increasingly representing key arenas linking local innovation and learning communities to global production and innovation networks. In this project, we focus on the various ways in which universities may strengthen the capabilities for innovation in firms and regions through providing new knowledge, building interregional networks and taking on broader developmental roles. The findings emphasise the multi-faceted nature of the role of universities in innovation and regional development. Universities engage with various societal stakeholders, including firms, regional governments, voluntary associations, and citizens. They contribute not just to technological innovation, but also service, public sector, and social innovation. In many cases, universities partner with regional governments to develop regional innovation and development policy, such as smart specialization strategies. They interact for research, to provide education, and to perform broader third-mission activities. Furthermore, universities are themselves loosely interlinked institutions consisting of relatively autonomous actors. They comprise academics, students, administrations, and senior management. These actors may have different interests and contribute independently to regional innovation processes. Hence, analysing universities as singular entities may not be appropriate.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

The Role of Universities in Innovation and Regional Development (RUNIN) is a European Training Network for Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs) in the field of science and innovation studies. The aim of the network is to train researchers on how universities contribute to innovation and economic growth in their regions through research seeking to examine how universities fulfill their third mission in relation to regional industry and explore the range of university engagement with regional firms and institutions. The project operationalises the main research question of how universities can contribute to innovation and regional development through four main themes: People and Networks, Policies and Interventions, Places and Territories, and Practices and Governance. The aim of the training programme is to equip the next generation of researchers with the skills required to work across employment sectors, collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders and find the practical relevance of their specialist knowledge, in the process creating new knowledge on universities’ role in innovation and regional development. There is an increased focus on the instrumentalist position of universities as important drivers of regional development, and the aim of the training programme is therefore to equip a new generation of researchers who can work within this field in the academic world or as specialist policy makers at the regional, national or European level. The programme will capitalise on host institutions’ infrastructure, including supervision, methods training and quality assurance review systems. In addition, it will offer a comprehensive programme of learning through individual research projects, secondments, and eight targeted training events aimed at developing both research-specific and transferable skills.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • UNIVERSITETET I STAVANGER · StavangerCoordinatorNorway
  • AALBORG UNIVERSITET · AalborgDenmark
  • COMUNIDADE INTERMUNICIPAL DA REGIAO DE AVEIRO · AveiroPortugal
  • DEA · KøbenhavnDenmark
  • FUNDACIO CATALUNYA LA PEDRERA - FUNDACIO ESPECIAL · BarcelonaSpain
  • FUNDACIO PRIVADA PARC DE RECERCA UAB · Cerdanyola Del VallesSpain
  • Greater Stavanger Economic Development · TysvrUnknown Region
  • LINKOPINGS UNIVERSITET · LinkopingSweden
  • Lincolnshire County Council · LincolnUnited Kingdom
  • REGIO TWENTE · EnschedeNetherlands
  • REGION NORDJYLLAND (NORTH DENMARK REGION) · AalborgDenmark
  • REGIONFORBUNDET OSTSAM · LinkopingSweden
  • UNIVERSIDADE DE AVEIRO · AveiroPortugal
  • UNIVERSITAT AUTONOMA DE BARCELONA · Cerdanyola Del VallesSpain
  • UNIVERSITEIT TWENTE · EnschedeNetherlands
  • UNIVERSITY OF LINCOLN · LincolnUnited Kingdom

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union