ABSTRACT

This case tells the story of how a university of applied sciences in a relatively small and economically hard-hit region has struggled and succeeded to become an adaptive partner in an innovation-generating ecosystem as well as a provider of a more creative and entrepreneurial class across disciplines and professions. This is a story of a genuine but winding pursuit to break out from deep-seated educational, professional, and disciplinary traditions; of benefiting from new funding opportunities; of searching for appropriate approaches for leadership; and of developing curricular structure and operating systems that allow entrepreneurial action to emerge among students and personnel without sacrificing the steady production of quality degrees.