How can fourth generation universities take up a transformative role for delivering innovation and impact for regions?

How can fourth generation universities take up a transformative role for delivering innovation and impact for regions?

Many theoretical frameworks have been developed to measure the regional innovation impact of universities, aiming at analysing the socioeconomic impact that universities in Europe have on their hometowns, metropolitan areas and regions.

Several new concepts have emerged over the last decade, subsequently being replaced by others, like civic universities or ERA Hubs, and the importance of knowledge valorisation has been increased at EU level. In recent years, the concept of “4th generation universities” has gained traction within research and (higher) education policy circles. Lately, however, closer attention is being paid to its implications for regional innovation policy, given the unique and multi-faceted roles that universities play within their local ecosystems, at the interface between industry, governments and society at large. At the same time, governments, industries and other stakeholders are increasingly calling upon universities to showcase their societal contributions. These organisations face tangible challenges that necessitate the appropriate talent and knowledge to generate solutions. 

In this SEFS Working Group meeting, the concept of fourth generation universities will be presented, along with some regional cases that are implementing it. 

The meeting will take place on Thursday 2 October (10:00-12:00) in person at ERRIN premises. A detailed agenda will be published closer to the date.

In order to attend the event, please register by pressing the “Register” button on this page. Please note that you need to be logged in to register.

We invite ERRIN members who are interested in contributing to this Working Group meeting, to get in touch with the ERRIN Secretariat by mailing to astrid.hannes@errin.eu. 

In the past years, ERRIN's Science and Education for Society (SEFS) Working Group has been closely following EU initiatives considering the role of research institutions for driving regional innovation ecosystems forward. You can learn more about previous WG activities and workstreams: 

You can read more about the case of the Technical University of Eindhoven here or check the report attached "Towards the 4th generation university: the transformative role of TU/e in delivering innovation and impact in the Eindhoven region" .