john goddard emeritus professor of regional development studies universities and smart...
TRANSCRIPT
John Goddard
Emeritus Professor of Regional Development Studies
Universities and ‘Smart Specialisation’How can universities be mobilised for regional economic, social and cultural development?
A TOPIC OF GROWING INTEREST AMONG REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY MAKERS AND PRACTITIONERS
CONNECTING UNIVERSITIES TO REGIONAL GROWTH
Forthcoming publication from the European Commission aimed at providing ‘practical’ guidance for regional authorities wishing to work with their universities achieve smart, sustainable and inclusive growth
Key areas covered:
• overview of the key principles underlying why universities can be important agents in regional development
• analysis of how universities can impact upon regions and how they can be mobilised for regional economic, social and cultural development
• overview of some of the current delivery mechanisms (illustrated by examples from around the EU) being used to link universities to regional growth /development
• emphasis of the need for strategic coordination of these mechanisms within a wider policy context to produce the maximum impact
• exploration (illustrated by more in depth case studies) of the complex barriers and challenges to be overcome, both internal to the universities and in the wider enabling environment
• suggestions for practical methods, tools and frameworks aimed at building university /regional partnership,
GLOBALLY CONNECTED, REGIONALLY ENGAGED?
Why universities can be important agents in regional development
The regionally engaged multi-modal and multi-scalar university (after Arbo and Benneworth)
National policy
LM
TDP
IND HE
S&T
‘Global’
Academic kudos
‘National’
‘Regional’
Science parks
Hospital Culture village
Inward investors
Passive and multiplier effects
Human capital
Innovation
Sustainable and
inclusive
CONNECTED OR DISCONNECTED?
The importance of the regional context
No boundary spanners
Focus on supply side, transactional interventions
Ineffective or non existent partnership
Lack of a shared understanding about the challenges
Entrepreneurs ‘locked out’ of regional planning
No boundary spanners
Focus on supply side, transactional interventions
Ineffective or non existent partnership
Lack of a shared understanding about the challenges
Entrepreneurs ‘locked out’ of regional planning
The disconnected region
PUBLIC SECTOR
Lack of coherence between national and regional/local policies
Lack of political leadership
Lack of a shared voice and vision at the regional/local level
PRIVATE SECTOR
No coordination or representative voice with which to engage
Motivated by narrow self interest and short term goals
Dominated by firms with low demand or absorptive capacity
for innovationHIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR
Seen as ‘in’ the region but not ‘of’ the region
Policies and practices discourage engagement
Focus on rewards for academic research and
teaching
Generating intellectual and human capital assets for the region
HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR
Developing coherent policies that link territorial development
to innovation and higher education
PUBLIC SECTOR
Investing in people and ideas that will create growth
PRIVATE SECTOR
Evidence based policies that
support ‘smart’ innovation and growth
Evidence based policies that
support ‘smart’ innovation and growth
Analysis of evidence and intelligencefor planning
Building the
infrastructure
for growth
Skills development, commercialisation of research
The ‘connected’ region – strong partnerships based on shared understanding of the challenges and how to overcome them
WHAT ARE THE MECHANISMS?
How can/do universities contribute to regional development and growth?
Research & innovation
Research & innovation
Graduate enterprisesGraduate
enterprises
Staff spin
outsStaff spin
outs
Innovatio
n
vouch
ersInnova
tion
vouch
ers
Consultancy services
Consultancy services
Technology transfer
Technology transfer
Knowledge
transfer
partnershipsKnowledge
transfer
partnerships
Teaching &learning
Talent attraction
Widening
participation
Widening
participation
Workforce development
Talent retention
Human capital
development
Stimulating innovationStimulating innovation
Internationallinks and
investment
Internationallinks and
investmentComplexity of the activity
Intervention type
transactional transformational
high
low
MECHANISMS FOR UNIVERSITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN SMART, SUSTAINABLE AND INCLUSIVE GROWTH
Helping businesses articulate demand
Helping businesses articulate demand
Teaching
Facilitating
networks
and
clusters
Facilitating
networks
and
clusters
Social mission
&engagement
Social mission
&engagement
Student volunteering & community
work
Student volunteering & community
work
Cultural development and ‘place making’
Cultural development and ‘place making’
Public lecturesPublic
lectures
Physical regeneration and capital
projects
Physical regeneration and capital
projects
Museums and galleries
Museums and galleries
Helping the region to
articulate demand so the
resources of the university
can be mobilised in an
holistic way to promote
innovation
Academic ResearchAcademic Research
THE BARRIERS TO ENGAGEMENT
What are the factors that limit the effectiveness of these mechanisms?
University ‘reach-out’ challenges
• Resources – civic partnerships not core business and have to be cross subsidised from other areas
• Complex territorial governance structures including city/region tensions
• Political instability in local government
• Poor perceptions of universities on the part of some stakeholders
• Measurement of impact
• Limited absorptive capacity of partners (e.g. SMEs)
Expectations from civic partners: the demand side
• Expertise of universities relevant to the region not being tapped.
• Internal targets for academics and their lack of boundary spanning skills a barrier
• More pro-active leadership in city development required – “think tanks for the region”
• Need to focus on key regional challenges – e.g. business competitivenes sustainability, health, social exclusion and social mobility
And these barriers increase as activities become more ‘transformational’
ACHIEVE MAXIMUM IMPACT
The need for strategic coordination within a wider policy context to
Universities and Leadership of Place
Intellectual Leadership
Towards a universities and civic leadership programme
• Focus on developing the region as well as developing its leaders • How to lead the region not just lead in the region• “Leadership development, unless it brings people together around a
common problem at an appropriate level of detail looses the point.”• Leaders from the university and outside should identify a key
challenge (e.g. removing barriers to social mobility, developing a sustainable city) and then hand over to an operational group of future leaders from the university and the region
• A single region/place focus for the programme within a national framework but learning from experience outside the country
Place Based Leadership
Development
Knowledge
Networks
Skills
Impact
Leadership Foundation in Higher Education:Universities and Leadership of Place
Place Context National Context International Context
Place Commitment Boundary spanners Partnership workers Qualities (influencing, networking, resilience, etc.)Relationship Builders
Secondments Exchanges Immersion events Research projects Joint Projects
Case Studies Good Practice Guides New Ways of Operating
