The roles of universities in knowledge-based urban development: a critical review

an article by Andrew Johnston (IBERG, Sheffield Hallam University, UK) published in International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development Volume 10 Number 3 (2019)

Abstract

Universities are increasingly recognised as key actors in the knowledge-based urban development process, occupying a crucial role of knowledge creators and transmitters.

This paper takes a critical view of these roles and reviews the extant literature to present a synopsis of relevant work examining universities and open innovation, the uncertainties involved in the process of knowledge transfer, and the spatial scope of university-industry links.

The paper proposes a number of areas for future development: understanding the heterogeneity of universities and how this influences their potential roles in knowledge-based urban development; a better understanding of how uncertainties in the partner selection process may prevent efficient university-industry collaboration to promote knowledge-based urban development; further exploration of the micro-level processes involved in knowledge transfer between universities and firms; and a broader understanding of the roles of proximities in facilitating these links.

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Harnessing the Benefits of Publicly-Funded Research

an article by Pluvia Zuniga (UNU Maastricht Economics and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology) and Sacha Wunsch-Vincent (Economics & Statistics Division, WIPO) published in WIPO Magazine 3/2012 (June 2012)

Introductory paragraph

Over the last 30 years, high-income economies have sought to maximize the benefits of publicly-funded research to accelerate knowledge transfer and entrepreneurship and to fuel innovation and economic growth. As a consequence, universities and public research organizations (PROs) in these countries are becoming more strongly business-focused.

In light of the perceived benefits of strengthening university-industry links, particularly in terms of stimulating innovation and promoting technology transfer, many middle- and low-income economies are adopting similar approaches. This is causing analysts to look more closely at these policies.

• Can they be readily exported from one setting to another?
• Is university patenting an efficient driver of business innovation?
• What is the impact of such policies in terms of economic growth and knowledge generation?

This third article in WIPO Magazine’s Innovation Trends series takes a closer look at the evolving landscape and considers the merits of more active use of the intellectual property (IP) system by universities and PROs in middle- and lower-income settings.

Full text (HTML)

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