ABSTRACT
Regions and cities are the natural loci where knowledge is created, and where it can be easily turned into a commercial product. Regions are territories where, under certain socio-economic conditions, a strong sense of belonging and mutual trust develops the ability to transform information and inventions into innovation and productivity increases, through cooperative or market interaction. Especially in contexts characterised by a plurality of agents — such as cities or industrial districts — knowledge is the result of cooperative learning processes, nourished by spatial proximity, network relations, interaction, creativity and recombination capability.
This book explains the logic behind these interactions and cooperative attitudes in regions and cities. One of the most significant channels comes from the presence of a university and its collaboration with firms and scientific research centres. These mutual relations between academic institutions and enterprises are of key importance.
The significance of universities in driving economic well being and regional development has been well documented for some time now. Much of the research, however, has centred upon countries in Western Europe and the United States. Increasingly, and since the expansion of the European Union in 2004 in particular, themes of academic entrepreneurship, university-business links, knowledge and innovation have become important on a Europe-wide scale. This book draws together key thinkers from across the continent to analyze the importance of higher educational institutions in fostering development.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|156 pages
Universities
chapter 3|18 pages
The innovation process of European regions
chapter 4|17 pages
Universities as knowledge nodes in open innovation systems
chapter 5|22 pages
Regional cooperation or external links?
chapter 6|26 pages
What do you offer?'
part II|133 pages
Universities, entrepreneurship and innovation-driven development?
chapter 8|24 pages
The research university, entrepreneurship and regional development
chapter 11|17 pages
Academic entrepreneurs in post-socialist Central European countries
chapter 12|22 pages
Universities, researchers and their perspective on the fulfilment of the third role
chapter 13|21 pages
Entrepreneurial universities, entrepreneurial students
part III|67 pages
Academic footstep in the city