Higher Education Institution Knowledge and Its Impacts on Regional Competitiveness

1
Higher Education Institution Knowledge and Its
Impacts on Regional Competitiveness

• Dr Robert Huggins
• Dr Andrew Johnston
• Centre for Regional Economic and Enterprise
  Development (CREED)
• The Management School
• University of Sheffield

2
Background

• Project started in September 2007 and will last 2
  years
• Project undertaken by Centre for Regional
  Economic and Enterprise Development (CREED),
  University of Sheffield
• Focus on HEIs in all 12 UK regions
• Comparison case study on the Chicago area being
  undertaken by Northern Illinois University
• Possible case study in China (Shanghai area)

3
Knowledge and Competitiveness

• Knowledge is regarded as a key component of
  economic growth (Arrow, Romer)
• Innovation is recognise as being important for
  competitiveness (ODPM, DTI)
• Competitive regions have high levels of RD
  expenditure, i.e. knowledge creation (Huggins
  Day)

4
Systemic Innovation

• Clusters (Porter)
• Regional Innovation Systems (Cooke)
• Learning Regions (Morgan, Florida)
• Triple Helix (Etzkowitz)
• Firms do not innovate in isolation collaboration
  is the key to success
• The HEI is regarded as an important knowledge
  creating institution in each model

5
Objectives (1)

• What is the relative impact of HEI generated
  knowledge on the economic competitiveness of the
  12 UK regions?
• What types of HEI generated knowledge have the
  highest impact on regional competitiveness?
• What is the impact on the micro-economic
  competitiveness of the actors receiving HEI
  generated knowledge?

6
Objectives (2)

• What is the balance between HEI generated
  knowledge on a region from HEIs located within
  the region and HEIs located outside the region?
• What are the mechanisms by which HEI generated
  knowledge flows most effectively and achieves the
  highest impact on regional competitiveness?
• What are the most applicable forms of policy
  intervention for improving the impact of HEI
  generated knowledge on regional competitiveness?

7
Methods

• The research methodology is based on the
  triangulation of quantitative and qualitative
  data, including
• Primary data
• Secondary data
• Case-studies

8
Data Collection (1)

• Secondary Data to be collected first
• Annual report for each HEI
• GVA per institution
• Productivity
• Research income
• Regional level data on RD expenditure and RD
  employment for the HE sector

9
Data Collection (2)

• Primary data collection
• 1. HEI Survey
• Collecting information on the firms and
  organisations interacting with the HEIs in a
  knowledge transfer capacity.
• 2. Firms collaborating with HEIs
• Assessing the impacts of HEI knowledge on factors
  such as
• Innovation
• Competitiveness
• Barriers
• Networks

10
Data Collection (3)

• 6 Case Studies in total (3 UK 3 US)
• Provide context for the aggregate data, greater
  discussion of
• Rationale
• Effectiveness
• Barriers
• Examples from different sectors across different
  regions

11
Comparison Cases

• Northern Illinois University
• Chicago/Northern Illinois region (Chicagoland
  metro area)
• 6 HEIs in the region
• Currently evaluating secondary data sources
• Identical survey instruments for comparable
  primary data
• 3 case studies
• Possibly a further study in the Shanghai area

12
Next Steps

• Developing and formalising survey instruments
  (Oct 07- Dec 07)
• Collecting secondary data (Nov 07 Feb 08)
• Collecting primary data (Feb 08 May 08)
• Identifying and undertaking case studies (May 08
  onwards)

13
Contact Details

• Dr Robert Huggins (Principle investigator)
• Centre for Regional Economic and Enterprise
  Development, University of Sheffield
• Tel [phone]
• Email R.huggins_at_sheffield.ac.uk
• Dr Andrew Johnston
• Centre for Regional Economic and Enterprise
  Development, University of Sheffield
• Email A.johnston_at_sheffield.ac.uk
• Tel [phone]