Content
European regions and their innovation systems face a major challenge that affects their current and future regional innovative capacity: The transition towards more environmentally sustainable modes of production and consumption which includes the transformation of economic, administrative and educational structures to develop and implement digital and smart solutions.
The course consists of three overlapping parts:
(iv) During the online lectures, experts from the ENLIGHT universities provide the required knowledge and methodological bases for students’ own institutional analyses of a regional innovation system (RIS)
(v) Participating students qualitatively assess “their” regional innovation systems by conducting about 3 interviews with regional experts
(vi) During the immersive week in Göttingen, students have the opportunity to gain deeper insights into the Göttingen Regional Innovation System by interacting with researchers and practitioners. They also present results from their own interviews and compare regions
Online lectures will be held via ZOOM, Thursdays at 6pm (eight lectures from Jan 26 2022). The immersive week will take place in Göttingen from Mar 20 to Mar 24 2022 (practical details to be determined).
Learning outcomes
After this module, participants will be able to:
• Understand the manifold actor relations in Regional Innovation Systems
• Comprehend the particular challenges that are inherent in the sustainability transition of innovation systems
• Design and execute own qualitative case study
• Manage cooperation in an interdisciplinary research team
• Reflect on the regulatory and institutional framework for sustainable innovation in their home region
• Identify potentials for cross-country policy learnings between different political frameworks
Programme
Virtual part (Jan 26 – Mar 16 2022 with a “break-week” from 13.-19.02.23):
- Each session consists of a 40 minutes lecture, 20 minutes Q&A and 30 minutes guided group work on the respective research project
- Lectures include (to be finalized):
- Introductory session to clarify organization, contents, methods etc.
- “overview session” to provide basic content on dynamics, mechanisms and actor constellations in innovation systems and sustainability transitions
- Methodological session to provide methodological basics and prepare students for field research
- Sessions focused on the roles of particular actor groups such as SMEs, MNEs and universities
Immersive week (Mar 20 – Mar 24 2022):
- Talks by and discussions with regional practitioners and academic experts from the Göttingen region
Exact program to be determined
Assessment
- Pitch (10 minutes)
- Paper (10 pages plus appendices documenting the research projects such as interview guidelines and protocols)
Lecturers
Prof. Kilian Bizer (University of Göttingen), Prof. Francesco Lissoni (University of Bordeaux), Prof. Pedro de Faria (University of Groningen), Prof. Unai Arzubiaga (University of the Basque Country)
How to apply?
This course is eligible for MA students esp. from the study fields of:
- Economics
- Social Sciences
- Agricultural Sciences
- Forestry
- Geography
Please inquire about your respective application process within your own university (please contact the general ENLIGHT email address of your home institution).
Students from Tartu, please apply through SoleMOVE until 7 November 2022. More info on this webpage.
Students from Groningen please apply until 10. November 22 via this form https://forms.gle/oM3xjGfxKuXsfiE47