Universities As Regional Growth Engines: An OECD Perspective

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Universities As Regional Growth Engines An OECD
Perspective

• John Goddard
• Professor of Regional Development Studies
• And
• Deputy Vice Chancellor
• Newcastle University, U.K.

2
Overview

• OECD Programme Supporting the Contribution of
  HEIs to Regional Development
• Integrating top down and bottom up approaches to
  exploiting the knowledge base in higher education
• Finland Jyvaskyla and Central Finland
• U.K. Newcastle and North East of England
• Reflections on the OECD review of Jutland/Funen

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Objectives of OECD Programme

• Response to multiplicity of initiatives across
  OECD to mobilise HEIs in support of regional
  development (HEIs region)
• Synthesise experience into coherent body of
  policy and practise to guide HEIs and regional
  and national governments
• Provide opportunity for dialogue between
  stakeholders and help with clarification of roles
  and responsibilities (i.e. assist with capacity
  building in each country/region)

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Participants

• 12 Countries and 14 regions which opted into the
  programme (i.e. not a pre-determined selection)
• Criteria nationally recognised administrative
  region with some history of working with HEIs
• All HEI operating in regions to identify division
  of tasks plus their key partners
• Wide variety of regional and national contexts
  and types of HEIs
• Metropolitan rural
• Central peripheral
• Research intensive vocational
• Devolved centralised countries

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Methodology

• Common framework for regional self-evaluation
  developed by OECD task group
• Self evaluation report by regional consortium
  using OECD guidelines
• Site visit by international peer review team
  (HEI, Regional, National Experts)
• Peer Review Team review team report and response
  from the region
• Analysis and synthesis by OECD task group drawing
  upon regional case studies and commissioned
  review of literature
• Production and dissemination of synthesis report

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Self Evaluation Report

• Regional context
• Regional/national higher education systems
• Contribution of research to regional innovation
• Contribution of teaching and learning to labour
  market and skills
• Contribution to social and cultural development
  and environmental sustainability
• Contribution to regional capacity building

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University/region value added
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Key Policy Challenges

• Universities can contribute to regional
  development in the round through teaching,
  research and third strand activities
• Innovation, skills, culture, infrastructure
  (place), social inclusion, civil society
• Potential for universities to be key institutions
  linking global and local
• The challenge of drawing together functional
  silos in Government
• Institutional autonomy and the intra-regional
  division of task between different institutions

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Figure 1.
TDP
Local Regional Agencies
S T
HE
Uni
Indust
LM
National policies impacting on university /
regional relations Key S T Science and
Technology TDP Territorial Development HE Higher
Education LM Labour Market Indust Industry
policy
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Current Policy Shortcomings (1)

• How can bottom up and top down approaches come
  together to support regional innovation?
• National S T policy can reinforce established
  hierarchies of universities and regions and
  global knowledge exploitation
• Link between national S T and innovation
  policies often poorly articulated and based upon
• linear model
• technology push
• manufacturing

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Current Policy Shortcomings (2)

• Neglect of contribution of humanities and social
  sciences to innovation as new ways of doing
  things
• Link to higher education policy and the role of
  teaching / learning weak
• Neglect of the role of students in establishing
  the social bases on which exploitation of
  technology / innovation depends

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Finland Science and Technology Policy Council
Knowledge, Innovation and Internationalisation

• The success of Finland in combining extensive
  production and utilisation of knowledge with
  other areas, such as promotion of welfare and
  sustainable development
• Education, science and technology and innovation
  policy must be able to guide and support regional
  development to ensure measures taken at the
  national and regional level support each other
• Challenge to raise knowledge and know how and
  their utilisation to a level which withstands
  international competition in all regions

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(contd)

• The issue in terms of national higher education
  policy is to merge this and regional development
  policy together in a rational and expedient way
• The aim is to achieve internationally higher
  quality, and structural development is required
  to meet this goal
• One major questions is how the university as an
  institution will be able to manage the pressures
  and growing expectations directed at it with
  regard to social, cultural and economic
  development whether the university has the
  internal capacity for renewal
• The need to address these questions is tangible
  because the changes taking place in university
  missions and funding structures is systemic,
  shaking up the institution to its core

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The Regional Dimension to the National Innovation
System

• A national system with three pillars HEIs,
  industry and public supported intermediaries
  (Triple Helix)
• No explicitly territorial dimension to top down
  policy except Centres of Expertise which are
  linked to bottom up initiatives (especially
  Science Parks)
• TE Centres deliver national policy in regions
  with no single body responsible for mobilising
  HEIs in the development of regions
• Key role for Science Parks and HEIs working in
  tandem

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Jyvaskyla Wellness Technology and Ageing

• Basic research funded by the Academy of Finland
  in the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences of
  the University.
• Establishment of an independent foundation with a
  strong representation from civil society
  (including the voluntary and community sector)
  and funded by the National Lottery to underpin
  the development of systems and services to
  support active ageing (Gerocentre).
• Translation of the research into products using
  the Wellness Dream Lab coordinated by the
  Polytechnic and supported by EU funding from the
  Regional Council
• Assessing the social innovation necessary to
  facilitate the uptake of technology through
  practice based polytechnic applied research in
  hospitals and community services.
• Practitioner training undertaken in the
  Polytechnic and the flow of practitioners into
  the research programmes in the University to
  undertake higher degrees.
• A Human Technology Forum where actors in the
  system meet and exchange knowledge and experience
• A building (Viveca) owned and managed by the
  Science Park where selected parts of the above
  chain can operate, including spin out companies

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Jyvaskyla Renewable Energy

• University research funded through the ERDF and
  TEKES on renewable energy (e.g. solar drying of
  bio-materials) and undertaken with regional,
  national and international collaborators and led
  by an endowed chair in Environmental Technology.
• MSc programmes in the University on the physics,
  chemistry and simulation of energy production, on
  environmental aspects of energy production and on
  energy economics and policy.
• Prototype testing in University labs and then
  transfer to the Polytechnic for field trials.
• Demonstrator projects (roadside and schools) to
  increase public understanding of alternative
  technologies (e.g. heat pumps from lakes for
  private housing).
• Influencing national energy policy via national
  Bio-Energy Association HQ based in Jyvaskyla and
  socio-economic research in collaboration with
  JSP.
• A local major energy producer (VAP0) with
  interest in wood pellet heating systems.
• Polytechnic RD support for farmers and SMEs with
  interests in use and supply of alternative energy
  systems.
• A bio-energy consortium of enterprises and public
  organisations managed by JSP.

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Obstacles to More Effective Regional Engagement
by HEIs

• Current funding model for HE
• Limited integration of relevant central
  government policies
• No mandate for Regional Councils to engage in
  development of regional strategies for higher
  education
• Overly rigid demarcation boundaries between
  Universities and Polytechnics and limited
  capacity for joint working
• Limited autonomy of Universities and related
  underdeveloped management capacity to build
  entrepreneurial .institutions linking the global
  and the local

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Overcoming Obstacles at the National Level

• A single Higher Education and Regional
  Development Fund (capital and revenue)
• Competitive bidding led by universities and
  polytechnics and other regional stakeholders
  (Municipalities, Regional Councils, Science
  Parks, Chambers of Commerce etc)
• 5 year programme and selection from a range of
  activities (translational research, knowledge
  transfer, skills development, community/cultural
  development)
• Bidding by consortia not linked to specific
  regions
• Clear mechanism for programme management,
  monitoring and evaluation of impact.

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Overcoming Obstacles at the Regional Level

• Clear regional development mandate for
  Universities as well as Polytechnics
• Regional Councils responsible for rationalisation
  of strategies seeking to mobilise higher
  education in support of regional development
• Shared academic development unit for Universities
  and Polytechnics in regions where both are present

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Overcoming Obstacles at the HEI Level

• Polytechnics and Universities learning from each
  other in terms of institutional management
• Implementing the Burton Clark model for
  developing the Entrepreneurial University but
  with a strong regional development dimension
• Strengthened steering core (senior management
  team)
• Expanded development periphery (Science Parks)
• Transformed academic heartland

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Newcastle University Key Business Drivers

• Maintaining and enhancing position as a research
  intensive University against strong national and
  international competition for staff, students and
  research grants and contracts
• Marketisation of higher education
• Research Assessment Exercise
• Top up fees, bursaries and scholarships
• Local wage bargaining

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Response

• Focussing on core strength of excellence with a
  purpose
• Transforming horizons the environment, health,
  culture, business, technology, individual lives
• Global reach and local engagement / assets
• Campus based University in a vibrant city

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Transforming Health International Centre for
Life

• Institute of Human Genetics (University of
  Newcastle)
• NHS Genetics Testing Service
• Bioscience Centre - serviced incubator units
• Life Knowledge Park
• Life! Visitor attraction (Secret of Life
  Theatre, Big Brain Show, Life on the Edge ride)
• Education resource centre
• Politics, Ethics and Life Science Research
  Institutes

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Institute for Policy Ethics and Life Science

• To enhance public participation in debates around
  new developments in genetics and life science
• To undertake research on the ethical, legal and
  social consequences for ordinary people in their
  everyday life
• To use these public sources and research data to
  engage in an informed critical and evaluative
  development with scientists and policy makers.
• Key Assets leading edge science, social science
  and strong regional identity

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Science City A New Model for Science, Business
and Economic Development

• A new type of university in the UK which is open
  for business and regional development where
  business, academic activities and the development
  of the region are inextricably linked to mutual
  benefit
• The development of new physical spaces providing
  World leading facilities in research and teaching
  and the integration of business, based upon
  establishing Science Central as one of the most
  significant and extensive investment in
  scientific facilities in Europe over the next few
  years.
• Nurturing and attracting of people to work in
  science and learn science

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Newcastle Model(after the Copenhagen Business
School)

• The vision is not to transfer certain research
  results with particular commercial potential from
  the university to the regional economy, rather it
  is to make the university itself an active player
  in the regional economy. A fundamental
  difference between this and the traditional model
  is that the latter is tailored to help
  commercialise research, whereas the Newcastle
  model seeks to build an institution that is
  capable of producing commercialisable research.
  The traditional model is tailored to help new
  entrepreneurs commercialise research-based
  technologies, while the Newcastle model seeks to
  make entrepreneurs of students and
  commercialisable technologies of research.

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Current Physical Structure

• Current physical structure is as a result of
  historical accident doesnt reflect technology
  opportunities
• The physical separation of units reduces
  interactions this is the fertile area for new
  developments.
• Little or no translational space

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Science Central

• 100K m2 of space on 19 acre site
• Labs, offices, incubation facilities, teaching
  space, exhibition areas, hotel, cafes, bars,
  restaurants and housing (including student
  housing)
• Not simply a second university campus
• Site co-purchased by the University, City Council
  and ONE NorthEast
• To be developed by the partnership with HMG
  support

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Criteria for Science City Initiatives

• Areas with great potential for growth in both
  scientific research and economic application
• Broad relevance across range of industries
• Disruptive or solution orientated areas
• Potential to create a critical mass of interested
  commercial partners in the region
• Critical mass of high quality research in
  Newcastle (and in the Region)

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Multi-Disciplinary Initiatives

• Energy and the Environment
• Molecular Engineering
• Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
• Ageing and Health

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Nurturing and Attracting Talent

• Boosting Participation and Attainment in Science
• City Academy
• Enterprise Education
• Attracting and retaining academic Talent
• Chairs
• Support Services

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Transforming Culture Spaces and Places

• Creating spaces (buildings) where cultural
  activities can take place
• Creating places where the university and the
  community can come together
• Combining university and non-university
  activities in a collectively managed zone or
  quarter

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The Cultural MixActivities and their locations

• Academic schools and research institutes
• Intermediate organisations (e.g. theatre company,
  support for cultural businesses, learned
  societies)
• Facilities (e.g. performance spaces, display
  spaces, digital laboratories, resources for
  teaching, research and community use, incubators
  for cultural businesses)
• Diverse art forms and their combinations
  visual, music, performance, writing, heritage,
  digital and tactile