The Role of Universities for Economic Development in Urban Poles

1st Open Conference9th February 2009, Gateshead, UK

Clive Winters, Lead Expert, RUnUP

Contents

• Introduction

• State of the Art

• Baseline Study Partner Reports

• Network Synthesis

• Contact Details

INTRODUCTION

RUnUP Overview• Cities are widely recognised as playing a fundamental role in the

promotion of the knowledge economy

• Most research and policy has focussed on large cities with World-class educational and research institutes and advanced clusters of economic activity

• There are clear and significant gaps in the knowledge of how smaller sized cities, with different levels and types of knowledge institutions and different levels of economic activity can compete within the Knowledge Economy.

• Such cities are recognised within European Union policy as playing a vital role in the implementation of the Lisbon agenda.

RUnUP Overview• The network has addressed in a uniquely different way the fundamental

issues of how universities should engage with their local communities with a particular focus on medium-sized cities; the role of local authorities and municipalities and the importance of triple helix structures for supporting economic development and encouraging entrepreneurship.

• 9 partner medium-sized European Cities in the Knowledge Economy

Gateshead (UK) Barakaldo (ES) Campobasso (IT)

Patras (GR) Solna (SE) Dunkirk (FR)

Potsdam (DE) Leszno (PL) Agueda (PT)

STATE OF THE ART

• The Knowledge Economy– What is the Knowledge Economy– Engaging Industry in the Knowledge Economy

• The Role of Universities– The traditional role of Universities in the competitiveness

of the local economy– The role of Universities aligned to economic

transformation

The State of the Art

• The role of medium-sized cities in the Knowledge economy

• Best Practice approaches highlighting the role of Universities in Urban Poles

• Conclusions

The State of the Art

The Role of Universities in Economic Transformation

CREATING NEW INDUSTRIES• Research and Development• Entrepreneurship• Communication

TRANSPLANTATION• Education• Personnel Development• Supply Chain Development

DIVERSIFICATION• Infrastructure• Partnership Development• Communication

MODERNISATION• Personnel Development• Consultancy and Knowledge Transfer• Research and Development

BASELINE STUDY VISIT REPORTS

Baseline Report Structure

• Introduction

• Overview of the Municipality

• Economic Structure

• Role of Universities and Knowledge Transfer Partners

• Synthesis

• Moving Forward

The understanding of the concrete needs of each partner city in relation to its existing economic base and the ‘absorptive capacity’ of its firms, allowing us to map out strategies for the partner cities each with different economic starting positions.

The alignment of university activity to economic transformation.

Focusing on the practical role that local authorities can play in Small and Medium-Sized Cities as the vital interface between the needs of economic actors and the knowledge base.

Baseline Report Structure

NETWORK SYNTHESIS

Universities are positioned as mechanisms for research and development and subsequently licensing, patenting and spin-outs (and this is reinforced in European and National policies); although this may not be where their potential for supporting local economic development truly exists.

Local Government organisations see Universities primarily as vehicles for Education and Research & Development (see above) and expect them to support the development of their local economy by default although universities operate in regional, national and international markets and are not entirely (if at all) aligned to local priorities.

Network Synthesis (1)

An industrial perspective examining the needs of the local economy, its modernisation, transformation, transplantation and new sector creation establishes common ground where local priorities can be articulated and the role of the university in this context can be openly explored and suitable knowledge transfer approaches defined in support of triple-helix development.

Network Synthesis (2)

Creating New IndustriesSolna, Barakaldo, Gateshead, Campobasso, PatrasLeszno

New Industry TransplantationNone

Diversification of IndustryDunkirk, Leszno, Gateshead, Campobasso, Patras

Modernisation of IndustryLeszno, Gateshead, Campobasso, Barakaldo

Network Synthesis (3)

Moving forward at a local level it is recommended that the partners in the Run UP network need to enhance their individual and organisational knowledge of their local and regional knowledge based institutions.

In parallel with this the partners as a prerequisite to the design of new schemes and approaches for university–industry interaction need to consider defining their sector priorities and the state of industrial transformation.

It is recommended that the partners with the inclusion of URBACT Local Support Group Members need to be taken to see models of best practice highlighting the new approaches of certain European Universities to university-industry interaction

Network Synthesis (4)

CONTACT DETAILS

Dr Clive WintersAssistant DirectorCoventry University Enterprises LtdThe Technocentre, Puma WayCoventry University Technology ParkCoventry CV1 2TT, UK

Tel +44 (0) 24 76236812Fax +44 (0) 24 76236388

Email: c.winters@coventry.ac.uk