Archive | 2021
Staðbundin áhrif og hlutverk þekkingarsetra í nýsköpun og atvinnuþróun byggða
Abstract
The development of knowledge centers in rural areas began in 2000 when institutes operating in the field of adult learning, university distant learning students and research merged under one roof. Today, a knowledge center operates in each of Iceland´s regional areas. They are similar in structure, operate mostly in the field of education, culture, research and innovation, but approach their tasks differently. Every institute, based in the knowledge center, is independent except for common costs and projects. In other countries similar arrangements can be found. The University of the Highlands and Islands, a cooperation of thirteen university and research institutes based in the highlands and islands of Scotland, exemplifies such an arrangement. In this article I investigate the status, role and impact of three knowledge centers in rural Iceland and explain the impact they have on the communities they operate in. The knowledge centers are: Nýheimar Þekkingarsetur in Hornafjorður, Þekkingarnet Þingeyinga in Husavik and Haskolafelag Suðurlands in Selfoss. Data gathering was done by taking individual and focus groups interviews and an on-line survey was conducted for the inhabitants in the communities. When analyzing the data, a thematic approach was chosen and the themes found were connected to the communities, the status, role and importance of the knowledge centers, the discourse about them and education, research, and innovation. The themes were then contextualized with the theoretical framework of, on the one hand, the Triple Helix model, which describes collaboration between businesses, knowledge centers and local authorities and, on the other hand, the Quadruple and Quintuple Helices models, which add community and environment to the Triple Helix model. The ideology of the Triple Helix model links education and regional development where the goal is to reinforce innovation and increase growth and prosperity within regions. The Quadruple Helix model refers to culture, values, quality of life and local knowledge a community possesses, and the Quintuple Helix model focuses on the environment. Together, these models describe sustainable and resilient communities where environmental, economic, social, and cultural aspects of the sustainability concept are valued equally. Gender perspective was also addressed when discussing communities and university studies. Research on the regional impact of universities in Iceland has focused on university studies; that is, out-migration of young people, especially young women to pursue university studies and on distance learning as a tool to stop out-migration from rural areas, combined with the economic influence universities may have on rural development. Iceland´s governments have looked at regional universities, knowledge centers and/or research institutions in rural areas as a tool to increase rural population and create jobs for higher educated people. The research conclusion is twofold; first, the Triple Helix model has guided knowledge center activities, although community emphasis can be found. It is important that the centers form a strategy of how to involve their community and environment more effectively to achieve a more significant communal impact. Second, despite more women entering university studies in the areas in question, community industrial development revolves around job creation which seems to fit men rather than women, such as largescale industry and construction projects. Therefore, it is important that the centers show the initiative of concentrating on the status of young people and women. Women seem to have more influence as to where the family will live, and it is important to find out why they move from smaller communities to larger ones and what must improve in order for them to stay. One of the centers´ goals is to increase quality of life so they are in a key position of knowing what the status is and how to ameliorate circumstances, especially for young people and women.