Download Academic Institutions as Change Agents for Territorial Development

Academic Institutions as Change Agents for
Territorial Development
Mari J. Aranguren*
José M. Guibert**
Jesús M. Valdaliso***
James R. Wilson*
* Orkestra-Basque Institute of Competitiveness and Deusto
Business School
** University of Deusto
*** The University of the Basque Country
Presented at the Workshop ‘Entrepreneutial University, Engaged Industry & Active
Government: Triple Helix Opportunities’, University of Surrey, 29-30 May 2014
Motivation
• Academic institutions are being asked to play more
strategic roles in actively shaping socioeconomic
development processes at regional level
• This takes us beyond a focus on science & technology in
knowledge transfer or the broad economic impact of
universities
• It highlights a new set of challenges that are particularly
relevant for the ‘softer’ disciplines
What is the potential for academic institutions to become change
agents for territorial development?
And what challenges do they face in doing so?
• We analyse these questions through a case study of
‘academic institutional entrepreneurship’: OrkestraBasque Institute of Competitiveness
Structure
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Changing roles of universities and academics
Methodology
Territorial context: The Basque Country
The case of Orkestra
Conclusions and challenges for academic
institutions and social scientists
Universities & socioeconomic development
• Interest in the role of universities in territorial
socioeconomic development processes has intensified
in the context of globalisation & a rise in regional studies
• This role is central to concepts such as the triple helix,
clusters & systems of innovation
o Etzkowitz & Leydesdorff (1997); Porter (1990); Freeman (1987); Cooke et al.
(1998)
• The move of universities ‘closer to society’ has taken
various forms, predominantly within a market frame
o More effective transfer of knowledge to business sector
o Attempts to quantify direct and indirect economic ‘impacts’ of universities
But there is also recognition of scope for a more
developmental role in shaping territorial strategy
A more strategic role for universities
• Universities committed to regional economic
development & actively shaping networks of knowledge
& innovation (Uyarra, 2010)
• Two key roles (Drabenstott, 2008)
1. Diagnostic: Academic analysis of the competitive position of regions and
their advantages
2. Alignment: Conduct research focused on the needs and challenges of
regional competitiveness
• The current European regional policy focus on Research
and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3)
identifies strategic roles for universities (Foray & Van Ark,
2008; Foray et al., 2012; Goddard et al. 2013)
o
o
o
o
Participate in entrepreneurial processes of discovery & RIS3 design
Provide external connections & access to foreign sources of knowledge
Match research capabilities with emerging regional priorities
Maintain a tension between research of international academic
excellence and research oriented to specific regional needs
Methodology
• To study this developmental role in regional
environments context is all important, which suggests the
appropriateness of case studies
• Sources for the case of Orkestra:
o In depth semi-structured interviews with 18 individuals actively involved in
the creation of Orkestra and its subsequent development (conducted by
the external co-author)
o A closed survey sent to 38 key actors in the Basque society (universities,
technological centres, policy-makers, economic development agencies)
o Other sources of information: Annual Reports, Minutes of the Board of
Directors, research publications…
• Combination of quantitative (scientific production and
other ‘hard’ indicators of teaching and interacting
activities) and qualitative information
• Triangulation, contrast and discussion
Context: The Basque Country
• 2.2 million people
• GDP per capita in top 5% of
European regions
• An old industrial region
• 22% manufacturing share of
GDP
• Successful economic
transformation over last thirty
years, based on a strong
regional innovation system
(OECD, 2011)
• 2.1% of GDP spent on R&D
• High level of policy autonomy
• Complex institutional structure
The Basque Universities A weak link?
• Teaching-focused & poorly situated in global rankings
• Clear improvement in research inputs and outputs over
last 10 years (patents, spin offs, scientific publications)
• Third mission under-developed, but recent initiatives
University of the
Basque Country
• Public
• Third mission
advanced by
recent
Euskampus
project
Deusto University
• Private (Jesuit)
• Third mission
advanced by 2004
establishment of
Deusto
Foundation
Mondragon
University
• Private (Co-op)
• Third mission
integrated in
cooperative
origins
Case: Orkestra - Basque Institute of Competitiveness
• New research centre, created from scratch in 2006
within an old university, with a funding system and
governance structure different from that of traditional
academic institutions in the Basque/Spanish system
o Mix of public-private-university funding on a long-term basis
o Managed like a firm (board of directors, general manager, advisory
board)
• Inception influenced by personal convictions of key
players & by Porter’s work on the role of universities/
research centres in promoting regional competitiveness
o Example of institutional entrepreneurship (Sotarauta, 2011, Karlsen et al,
2012)
ORIGINAL MISSION
To support through research, teaching, prospection, technical
assistance, evaluation, discussion and participation in international
networks of excellence, the activity of the public administration,
socio-economic agents and all the universities of the Basque Country
in fields related to competitiveness
Orkestra – Structure & Funding
• Public & private
stakeholder funding
with university
backing, for first four
years (around €2m
per year)
• From 2010 onwards,
competitive funding
more and more
important (today
circa 50%)
• 15-26 researchers &
10-12 supporting staff
Territory,
innovation
and
clusters
Energy
Direction
&
Support
Strategy
Entrepre
neurship
Orkestra – Model guiding activities
Frontier of Knowledge on Regional
Competitiveness
Impact on the actual
competitiveness of the
Basque Country and
contributions to the
frontier of knowledge
on regional
competitiveness
Actual competitiveness state of the Basque
Country
1. Equilibrium basic funded and competitive projects
2. Equilibrium international and local projects
3. Positive tension between problem-focused processes & academic writing
Orkestra – Academic research
• An increasingly
international research but
oriented to the needs of
the region
• Activities include a biannual assessment of the
competitive position of
the Basque Country
• A ratio of publications per
researcher that notably
outscores that of Deusto
University, and that of the
University of the Basque
Country in social
sciences, arts and
humanities
Orkestra – Teaching
• Mainly postgraduate:
executive
courses (e.g.
MOC), masters
and doctoral
programs
• Non-university
training to
stakeholders
Orkestra – Interaction
• Interaction with
the main
socioeconomic
agents of the
region
• Proactive role in
the regional
knowledge and
policy network
• An extremely
time-consuming
and demanding
activity (it pays
off in a mediumlong term)
Orkestra’s role in regional change
1. It has provided a ‘common language’ for
competitiveness and has fostered a shared vision of the
competitive challenges of the country among the
different agents – a ‘bridge builder’
2. It has offered academic analysis of the competitive
position of the Basque country and its main challenges
3. It has had important input in the development and
evaluation of the cluster policy and other policy plans
of the Basque government, and has been able to
become a key advisory institution for different levels of
government without losing its independence
4. It has been able to carry out academic research of
increasing international quality and relevance, which
has also served to diffuse the Basque experience
5. Spillovers between research, teaching and interacting
have lead to the development of new roles for
academics (as social researchers) and new
methodologies (action research)
Conclusions … and challenges
• Orkestra appears to be fulfilling the roles of diagnostic &
research alignment in a proactive way that is engaged
with the region’s needs
• In the context of RIS3, for example, it is responding to
Goddard et al.’s roles
• As a change agent in the field of regional
competitiveness meeting three challenges have and
continue to be critical:
1. How to guarantee continuity (stable funding)
2. How to manage the creative tensions that emerge:
o
o
o
Between the different needs of stakeholders:
Between research & interaction (a time-consuming activity)
Between regional needs & participation in global networks
3. How to develop capabilities of ‘social researchers’,
able to facilitate change processes & reflect on them
rigorously
Thanks, gracias, eskerrik asko!
• With particular acknowledgements to:
o Patricia Canto (Orkestra) for her help in quantitative assessment of
Orkestra between 2006 and 2012
o MINECO (Grant HAR2012-30948) and the Basque Government (Grant
IT807-13) for financial support
Email: [email protected]
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