From Local Initiative to International Dialogue: How ENLIGHT and Region Gotland Co-Created a Regional Academy
The ENLIGHT alliance is built on connecting universities, regions and wider society to address real-world challenges. A compelling example of this approach can be seen in the collaboration between Uppsala University, Region Gotland, and the wider ENLIGHT alliance network, where an existing regional initiative was transformed into an international platform for dialogue and collaboration.
How it began
The story originates from an established strategic partnership between Uppsala University and Region Gotland. This collaboration led to Region Gotland becoming an associated partner of ENLIGHT, opening new opportunities for cooperation in education, research and regional development.
At the same time, ENLIGHT identified an existing “regional academy” event on Gotland, organised by the university, a local initiative bringing together academics, students and industry representatives to discuss development possibilities & challenges. Recognising its potential, ENLIGHT saw an opportunity to expand the event beyond its local context.
However, the format presented certain limitations. With a tight schedule and a highly focused agenda, it proved difficult for international academics to engage fully. In response, ENLIGHT brought together representatives from Region Gotland and the event organisers to jointly explore how the initiative could be developed further.
From local event to shared European platform
Through dialogue and co-creation, the collaboration began to take shape. A representative from Region Gotland introduced a local challenge into a broader ENLIGHT discussion on how cities and university alliances can move forward together. This exchange sparked the idea of transforming the existing regional academy into a hybrid format—combining its local strengths with the international reach of ENLIGHT.
The outcome was complementing the Regional Academy event with an ENLIGHT-focused side event: a three-day focused meeting point where decision makers and employees from the local authority, ENLIGHT academics could come together to discuss the barriers and possibilities for international collaboration. The programme included sessions on gamification in regional development and stakeholder engagement in challenge-based collaboration, enriched by contributions from initiatives such as ETN TOGETHER and the ROCKET project.
Academics from across the alliance—including Ghent University, University of Groningen, University of Tartu, University of Göttingen, and University of Bern—participated, alongside expertise from the Game Design department at Uppsala University.
Co-creation in practice
ENLIGHT played a central facilitating role in co-designing the programme and matching the identified challenge with relevant academic expertise and educational programmes.
Region Gotland, in turn, mobilised its internal networks, engaging employees, decision-makers and practitioners who could both contribute to and benefit from the discussions.