Janelle Allison

The Intersection of the Learning Region and Local and Regional Economic Development: Analysing the Role of Higher Education

The aim of this article is to examine the intersection of the learning region with regional economic development. Specifically the focus is upon the role of institutions of higher education in facilitating economic development. Universities potentially contribute in two ways. First, they are a critical source of knowledge and learning activities; and second, they provide some of the essential knowledge infrastructure. In recognizing this role, the question we pose is how to evaluate a universitys participation in the learning economy, what are the linkages established and how embedded are they are in the local economy?

A new direction for regional university campuses: catalyzing innovation in place

Ideas about the importance of knowledge and innovation in the global economy have implications for the changing role of universities – but so too do ideas about the role of place-based knowledge in generating competitive advantage and innovation at the regional scale. As the concern to structure effective innovation systems intersects with the growing interest in distinctive, place-based knowledge, an opportunity emerges to reconsider the role of universities in regions. As institutions specialized in knowledge creation and knowledge transfer, regional university campuses are in a key position to catalyze regional development outcomes by bringing together different forms of knowledge, including place-based knowledge, in new ways. In line with current thinking about open and user-generated innovation, it is arguable that this kind of approach to co-creating knowledge in place can catalyze regional development outcomes. Yet for university campuses to take on this catalyst role, they must move beyond the limitations of their current “engagement” approaches. This paper explores some of the limitations and conflicts in current regional engagement approaches, then considers how the meeting-point between universities and complex regions may be operationalized in practice.