About the course
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. Universities play a central role in tackling these “twin transitions” (European Commission 2021) by focusing on emerging research topics and conveying important competencies and mindsets to students as well as transferring knowledge and cooperating with non-academic regional stakeholders. The dynamic evolution of universities from regionally detached “ivory towers” towards multi-faceted, entrepreneurial and engaged change agents in regional innovation and sustainable development dynamics is still in full swing and thus their potential roles in the socio-technical transitions of regional innovation systems are yet to be explored.
Since the comprehensive adaption of a systemic understanding of innovation processes with a particular focus on place-based approaches in science and policy in the early 2000s, many scholars on the intersection between economics, geography, planning sciences, sociology and political sciences and others have started to develop inter disciplinary frameworks and assessed regional institutional arrangements. Albeit numerous diverging perspectives on several aspects and a strong focus on the regional level, they share that the broader political frame plays a crucial role. Policy learning, exchange of experiences and inter and transdisciplinary approaches represent promising trajectories for refinement of existing knowledge transfer structures.
Programme
More information will folllow
Lecturers
Prof. Kilian Bizer (University of Göttingen) and others