The report from the work undertaken by UNICREDS partners on the theme of 'Nurturing an Innovative Business Culture and Reaching Isolated Groups' has been published today. The report, written by partners at the University of the Highlands and Islands in Scotland, UK draws on the experiences of the project partners from all seven UNICREDS regions in the ways that universities and the public sector are working with businesses and communities.
Key findings
It has been found that communities from across the UNICREDS partner regions agreed that enhanced communication was the key to nurturing an innovative business culture and reaching isolated groups. Specifically, future initiatives should make a much greater effort to:
- Understand the needs of local businesses and communities in isolated areas;
- Ensure that two-way communication becomes the key tool for developing innovation systems;
- Ensure that isolated businesses and communities are made fully aware of the opportunities and benefits of;
- Innovative practices;
- Collaboration;
- Cooperation;
- Funding for collaborative innovation projects.
From this work a new “connected quadruple helix “model is proposed to better describe innovation in remote and rural regions.
Download the full report here.
UNICREDS took its experience and expertise to the Czech Republic last week, where the seven partner regions met to discuss how best to nurture an innovative business culture.
The conference took place at České Budějovice in the Czech Republic on Tuesday 17 January 2012, hosted by the University of South Bohemia and run by the University of the Highlands and Islands in Scotland. As well as looking at how education establishments can help nurture an innovative business culture, delegates also debated how to reach isolated groups.
A focal point of the event were the keynote speeches from Christian Saublens, Executive Manager of EURADA (European Association of Development Agencies), and Frank Rennie, Professor of Sustainable Development and Head of Research and Post-Graduate Development at Lews Castle College, part of the University of the Highlands and Islands.
Read the full press release here.
The third report from the UNICREDS project was published today. The report explores the benefits of collaborative universities within the local economy and communities and the processes by which those benefits are embedded. Written by UNICREDS partners at the Combined Universities in Cornwall, the report draws on the work of the project partners in all seven UNICREDS regions, bringing a wealth of experience and aspiration which underpins the research findings.
The dominant view in development theory and policy is that knowledge is a key condition of economic growth and wealth creation. In recent years, governments have stimulated knowledge-based economic development through the commitment of public funds, economic policies and a wide variety of other supporting measures. Higher Education Institutions are given an important and mostly new role: to be a direct institutional partner – thus going beyond a response of individual academics to the challenges and opportunities in their respective field - in achieving better balanced development and growth in the local, regional and national economy.
As part of the work leading to this report, a large number of economic and community benefits have been identified, that can be attributed to virtually every Higher Education Institution in the Western world regardless of their specific location, circumstances, scope and mission. These give a further picture of the wide range of benefits that investing in higher education brings to regional development. The report then focuses in on individual UNICREDS regions to see what What specific economic and community needs are addressed in these different regions and the benefits that higher education brings for regional development. Finally, best practice examples and policy recommendations are given.
The fourth issue of the UNICREDS newsletter has been released. Download a pdf copy from the website and sign up to our mailing list in the grey box to the right to receive future newsletters direct to your email in-box.
The theme of the conference was Baltic Sea Region Setting Sails for co-creative multilevel governance. The conference was organized by the Ministry of Education and Culture and took place in Turku, Finland. Nearly 200 guests met to discuss and hear topical themes of multilevel governance and EU 2020 Strategy. The conference took place on a unique site: the culture centre in Logomo, a recently renovated engine shed.
The conference utilized the open space working method. UNICREDS hosted one pre-arranged session with another Finnish project, under the combined name "Distinctive mark of success – Triple Helix". Representatives of the University Consortium of Seinäjoki and Frami Ltd planned the programme and material for the session. Participants had a free schedule to attend sessions and even to arrange a new session. The ultimate aim was to produce action plans on selected topics.
Among the conclusions drawn during the conference were that for co-creative multilevel governance we need social capital: trust between people, to organizations and between organizations, informal interactions, feeling of belonging/sense of togetherness. We need head, heart and feet for actual cooperation. Also new culture for cooperation is important. It includes adequate, but simple and flexible structures and also leadership.
One practical experience was encouraging. In open session conferences people may wander between different sessions. Visual roll-ups help to stop participants to hear the key message, also if they arrive with different schedules.
Professor Juha Alarinta at the Baltic Sea Region Setting Sails conference
The results from our work on geographic and community ‘fit’ and partnership development were published in June. As the UNICREDS model begins to take shape it is clear that the themes chosen by the project are closely interlinked and will bear updating as the project progresses. Early results show that the ways that universities operate are changing in response to the needs of students and to regional economic drivers.
Innovative partnerships between multiple universities and further education institutions, local government and industry are building a new type of university, based on a common drive to build a competitive knowledge economy. These universities offer flexible, accessible higher education for students, delivered through a blend of class-based and distance learning, supported by local learning centres where students can work alongside their peers – overcoming many of the geographical and social boundaries to education.
Partnership with regional government can help to reduce rural depopulation and regenerate local businesses through the provision of skilled graduates to support essential regional requirements in areas like healthcare and engineering. Courses developed in partnership with local businesses help to ensure employable graduates with the skills that businesses need and relevant continuing professional development for existing staff.
The economic benefits from the vital connection between university research and innovative businesses can be maximised through smart specialisation into research areas that build on the region’s existing assets, supported by strategic policy decisions by local government. These university-industry-government collaborations often grow out of existing partnerships within a region, but the initiative can be with the universities, the regional government or with businesses to start a partnership even in a region where there is currently no university presence.
These are just a taster of some of the work covered so far. The complete reports and good practices identified during Work Packages 1 and 2 are available for download on the project website at www.unicreds.eu/documents.
The next UNICREDS conference will look at the theme of nurturing an innovative business culture and reaching isolated groups. Hosted by the South Bohemian Regional Authority and the University of South Bohemia, the conference will take place in České Budějovice, Czech Republic on Tuesday 17 January. Read more and register at http://www.unicreds.eu/events/item/53-unicreds-conference-nurturing-innovation.html.
Representatives of the Combined Universities in Cornwall and the University of the Highlands and Islands recently visited Brussels to host an event at the EU Open Days. Entitled “Universities and Smart Specialisation: Driving Growth in Lagging Regions”, the CUC Brussels Reception on 11 October was attended by around 50 guests including MEPS, European Commission officials, education and regional stakeholders and presented the Cornish and Scottish experience of using Higher Education to drive the knowledge economy. Oversubscribed and full to capacity, the evening reception included a contribution from former EU Commissioner Danuta Hubner MEP and a lively debate about how universities can contribute to regional growth and what other European regions can learn from Cornwall and Scotland’s experience. Representatives from the University of Exeter, Plymouth University, the European Centre for the Environment and Human Health and the CUC Partnership Office were joined by colleagues from the University of the Highlands and Islands in their visit to the Brussels Open Days to host the CUC Reception and while in Brussels took the opportunity to hold meetings to discuss and better understand how Cornwall’s Higher Education institutions can make a contribution to future EU policy and programmes.
Picture: Chris Pomfret (Chair of Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP), Dr Sue Brownlow (Director of CUC) and reception speakers Marion Dewar (Cabinet Member of EU Commissioner for Research and Innovation) and Mikel Landabaso (Head of Unit for Thematic coordination and innovation, DG Regional Policy)
The Setting Sails conference is now taking place in Finland (5 - 6 October), bringing together officials of European, national, regional and local administrations, experts from universities and research centres, and representatives of the private and third sectors, for a visionary look towards an innovative and smart growth driven Europe 2020.
During the first day of the conference yesterday, UNICREDS hosted the workshop “Distinctive marks of success - Triple helix”, along with the University Consortium of Seinäjoki and Best Practises in the Baltic Sea area project, Regional Council of Pohjois-Savo.
As a result of the two day collaboration over the course of the conference, the participants will create new ways to implement multilevel governance in the context of EU 2020 and the Baltic Sea Region Strategy.
The proceedings from the UNICREDS conference: “Can Universities Benefit Rural Communities? Harnessing the opportunity for Universities to drive smart specialisation in regional development” are now available online. The conference was led by the Combined Universities in Cornwall and hosted by the University of the Highlands and Islands at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Skye.
The conference summary includes an overview of the keynote presentation by Professor Norman Sharp and a summary of the panel debate about how embedding the economic and community benefits that a university can bring to a region. The presentation by Professor Sharp and two case studies presented by Associate Professor Eva Cudlinova from the University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic, and Dr Sue Brownlow, Director of the Combined Universities in Cornwall, UK. Follow the links below to download the documents.
Download the conference summary
Download the presentations:
- Keynote: Benefits of Higher Education for Regional Development – Professor Norman Sharp
- Case study: Czech Republic – Assoc. Professor Eva Cudlinova
- Case study: Cornwall – Dr Sue Brownlow
The third UNICREDS (University Collaboration in Regional Development Spaces) conference recently took place in Scotland to discuss how universities can benefit rural communities.
Located in the beautiful surroundings at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Skye, the conference on 7 June brought together delegates from six European countries to debate and question the role of universities in rural communities, with particular focus on how universities can drive smart specialisation in regional development and boost the local economy.
Professor Norman Sharp OBE (pictured right), the former director of higher education quality assurance agency QAA Scotland, delivered the keynote speech, reflecting on the direct and indirect ways in which a university can provide the lifeblood of development for rural communities and economies. He said: “This important conference provides a valuable opportunity for experts from across Europe to consider the potentially vital role that universities have in supporting rural development.”
The conference was led by the Combined Universities in Cornwall. As well as keynote speeches and presentations on best practice case studies from Cornwall and the Czech Republic, the event also included a panel debate involving speakers from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, The Highland Council and UHI principal and vice-chancellor James Fraser, amongst others.
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James Fraser, UHI, and Nigel Hewitt, CUC, talking at the UNICREDS conference |
Nicolas Wallet, Project Manager for UNICREDS, comments: “This conference marks the halfway point for the three-year UNICREDS project and with each event that takes place we collate more ‘best practice’ experiences that will inform policy recommendations to help other regions facing similar issues.”
All the regions involved with UNICREDS share similar characteristics, such as distance from major cities, population demographics, and reliance on declining traditional industries. UNICREDS partners share real life experiences and knowledge of how the challenges of an underperforming economy can be overcome and how deprived or peripheral regions can be transformed into centres of excellence in research and innovation. The project includes partners at different stages of the journey towards solving these problems.
This is the third UNICREDS conference and the findings and case studies presented at the event will feed into policy recommendations that will be submitted to the European Commission. Each of the conferences has looked at a different element under the overarching theme of developing high value, knowledge-based economies in peripheral regions, through partnerships between universities, business and the public sector.
Harnessing the opportunity for Universities to drive smart specialisation in regional development
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Skye
Programme
1430 Welcome speeches
James Fraser, Principal, University of the Highlands and Islands
Professor Boyd Robertson, Principal, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
Scottish Government representative (TBC after 5th May election)
1450 Key note: Benefits of higher education for regional development, Norman Sharp, Former director QAA Scotland
1530 Tea and Coffee break
1600 Panel debate: Embedding Economic and Community Benefits of higher education:a stakeholder perspective
Willy Roe, Highlands and Islands Enterprise
Stuart Black, Director of Planning and Development, The Highland Council
James Fraser, Principal, University of the Highlands and Islands
Nathan Shields, President UHI Students’ Association
Chair: Catherine Leyson, University of Exeter
1645 Case study: South Bohemia, Czech Republic
Eva Cudlinova, University of South Bohemia
1715 Case study: Cornwall, United Kingdom
Sue Brownlow, Director Combined Universities in Cornwall
1745 Closing remarks
Nigel Hewitt, Combined Universities in Cornwall
1800 Conference closes
Download the Conference Programme.
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Skye
The third issue of the UNICREDS newsletter has been released. Download a pdf copy from the website and sign up to our mailing list in the grey box to the right to receive future newsletters direct to your email in-box.
On 28th March, local stakeholders in the Seinäjoki region of Finland were invited to find out more about the region’s investment in research and innovation and to share experience with partners in Skellefteå, Sweden, involved in similar work there. Around 20 people attended the meeting, including representatives from universities within the University Consortium of Seinäjoki, the managing directors of the region’s Chamber of Commerce and Regional Organization of Enterprises, SMEs in the Seinäjoki area working in collaboration with UCS, and public sector leaders including the Mayor of the City of Seinäjoki. The meeting formed part of a wider series of events to share a broader view of the development of the Seinäjoki region, with visits to Frami Ltd and Foodwest Ltd, and discussions about the role of business incubators and how to involve SMEs in research and development work.
