The EPRC Autumn Seminar Series kicked off September 24th, 2020 (10:00 – 11:00) over Zoom with the webinar entitled ‘How can universities influence strategic regional development?’.
Dr Lisa Nieth, from the University of Twente and Kennispunt Twente, in the Netherlands, presented a paper she co-authored with Dr Verena Radinger-Peer, from Austria’s University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences. The presentation provided a comparative perspective between three young and entrepreneurial European universities: Aalborg University (DK), University of Twente (NL) and the University of Kaiserlautern (DE). By analysing the agency types of these three higher education institutions, the authors were able to identify different ways in which they have contributed to affect the economic development path of their region. Namely, through path extension, path modernisation/upgrading, and path importation and creation.
Results point to agency and path development being closely interwoven, and recommendations centred on securing a more long-term approach to their regional leadership, supporting the creation of university structures for the enactment of regional activities, and empowering motivated individuals (or frontrunners) within the university to seize opportunity spaces for regional collaboration.
Dr Nieth’s presentation can be accessed here, and the recording of the webinar can be viewed on the EPRC’s Youtube page here.
Abstract
Questions of how and under which conditions new regional pathways are developed have received much attention by policymakers and researchers alike. This study analyses the specific roles of universities in the development of new industries and regional paths in selected regions. This is approached by applying the three agency types of innovative entrepreneurship, institutional entrepreneurship, and place leadership (Grillitsch & Sotarauta, 2019). The aim is to understand which types of agency have been taken on by three universities since their creation; drawing on a qualitative empirical case analysis of the University of Aalborg (Denmark), the University of Kaiserslautern (Germany) and the University of Twente (Netherlands). Findings suggest universities take on different agency roles in regional path development processes according to their individual as well as their regions’ history (path-dependency), regional context, available resources, among others.
Dr Lisa Nieth is a recent PhD graduate in the field of Regional Development and Innovation from the Center for Higher Education Policy Studies of the University of Twente in the Netherlands. She is a Marie Skłodowska Curie alumni of the H2020 project RUNIN (The Role of Universities in Innovation and Regional Development). She worked both with the Region of Twente and the University of Twente on her research on the role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in regional collaboration, and she has explored the ways that HEIs participate in the formulation and implementation of regional strategies. She has aimed to analyse how policies can accommodate characteristics of HEIs to improve collaboration in regions.
Our next webinar will take place on Wednesday October 7th, where Dr Lewis Evans will present on Adaptation, Governance and Industrial Diversification. Future webinars this Autumn will delve on topics of regional policy and development. Please email marie.c.devine@strath.ac.uk to register for this upcoming webinar or if you’d like to register for our mailing list to keep up to date on future events.
