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Regional innovation impact: an introduction

Universities are organisational structures embedded (to varying degrees) in the places where they are located. They are also an integral part of larger, complex social systems – not only their local civic society or national higher education system, but also the domestic and international economy, as well as regional or national innovation systems. Fulfilling their numerous societal missions, universities engage and interact with a wide range of customers, users, and partners – some of which are in close proximity, while others are at large distances. Those connections and interactions may have very significant impacts on external environments; universities can be important change agents in local and regional societies and economies. Addressing the increasing interest among policymakers to know more about the socio-economic impacts of universities in Europe, this book focuses on their ‘regional innovation impact’ (‘RII’ for short). More specifically, their (potential) engagement with, and actual impact on, the ‘regional innovation system’ within their host city, urban agglomeration or surrounding area. Determining the nature and intensity of universities’ RII-related engagements is a challenging task; identifying and valuing their impacts is even more difficult. In this book we offer a new way forward to capture and assess the RII profile of universities. Our evidence-based approach is based on a series of empirical studies of research-active universities in European Union Member States. The three chapters of Part I discuss the rationale for this book and introduce the conceptual model and analytical approach we developed. Chapter 1 sets the scene by describing the current circumstances under which many universities operate with regard to their local or regional engagement activities. It presents a definition of ‘regional innovation impact’ and introduces a conceptual model of an ‘RII system’ in which a university and its local environment are intertwined and interdependent. The ‘RII delivery space’ connects both domains: this domain consists of the university’s RII pathways and ‘places and spaces’ where external impacts may occur.