Higher Education Institutions and Knowledge Networks: Evaluating

Local and Global Knowledge Pipelines

Robert Huggins

& Andrew Johnston

Introduction

• HEIs: Viewed as key institutions in the regional economic development process

• HEIs: Described as central nodes of the knowledge driven economy

• University knowledge increasingly viewed as a panacea for promoting knowledge based economic development

• How do HEIs contribute to regional competitiveness?

Theoretical Framework: HEI Knowledge and Innovation

• Systemic view of innovation; regions as laboratories which provide the crucial knowledge infrastructure for innovation

• Local knowledge sources are utilised in the innovation process

• Increasingly, local knowledge sources are becoming viewed as secondary. Global knowledge pipelines are important to innovation

• Do HEIs represent local knowledge sources or are they part of a global knowledge pipeline?

Questions

• Do HEIs interact with local or global actors?

• How does this differ across regions

• Are HEI links related to the productivity of the institution?

• Are HEI links related to research income?

Research Method• Postal survey sent to all UK HEIs (159 institutions) covering all 12 UK NUTS 1

regions• Respondents asked to list 3 most important contacts in terms of:

• Collaborative research• Contract research• Contract research with SMEs• Consultancy• Courses for businesses• Patents• Licences• Spin-outs• Other

• Geographic location of contacts was also noted – post town, county or region (varied due to level of confidentiality)

• 59 usable responses, average 5 per region, equalling a response rate of 37%• Responses included pre-92 institutions, post 92 institutions and specialist HEIs (i.e.

Schools of music/agriculture) • 59 responses accounted for 71% of total research income for all HEIs• Responses accounted for at least 50% of total HEI research income in all regions

Measuring HEI Links

• Measuring the global/local nature of HEI links• Links were quantified according to distance:

• 1: Link within same region as HEI• 2: Link located within adjacent UK region• 3: Link located within other UK region• 4: Link located within European region• 5: Link located within the rest of the world

• Scores then averaged for regions and HEIs for analysis• Global/local nature of the HEI links then compared with

HEI productivity, research income, income from licensing and total number of patents held

Links

Links to: S NI NE NW Y&H EM WM W EE L SE SW

Scotland 53.5 0 10.7 0 0 1.5 0 1.2 1.1 0 0.9 0

Northern Ireland 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

North East 5.3 0 67.9 0 3.3 0 0 0 3.3 0.5 0 0

North West 0.9 0 7.1 72.4 0 4.6 1.2 7 1.1 0.5 1.8 0

Yorkshire and Humberside 0 0 5.4 3.4 45 4.6 1.2 0 4.4 3.8 0.9 0

East Midlands 0.9 0 5.4 3.4 6.7 67.7 3.7 1.2 3.3 1.6 2.6 1

West Midlands 0 0 0 1.1 0 1.5 88.9 3.5 0 0.5 1.8 0

Wales 0 0 0 1.1 1.7 1.5 0 66.3 1.1 0 0 3.1

East of England 0 0 0 0 0 3.1 0 0 65.9 1.6 7 0

London 13.2 0 0 8 13.3 4.6 1.2 5.8 4.4 51.6 26.3 14.3

South East 8.8 0 1.8 3.4 21.7 9.2 3.7 2.3 11 36 48.2 5.1

South West 1.8 0 0 0 1.7 1.5 0 2.3 1.1 0.5 1.8 72.4

Europe 1.8 0 0 1.1 6.7 0 0 5.8 2.2 1.6 7 3.1

Rest of the World 9.6 0 1.8 5.7 0 0 0 4.7 1.1 1.6 1.8 1.0

Links By Region

Location of HEIsProportion of Links in the region

Proportion of Links outside the region

Scotland 53.5 46.5

Northern Ireland 100.0 0

North East 67.9 32.1

North West 72.4 27.6Yorkshire and Humberside 45.0 55.0

East Midlands 67.7 32.3

West Midlands 88.9 11.1

Wales 66.3 33.7

East of England 65.9 34.1

London 51.6 48.4

South East 48.2 51.8

South West 72.4 27.6

HEI Links - Local or Global?

Regional HEI Links

Productivity and External Links

Research Income and External Links

Licence Income and External Links

Patents/Licenses Held and External Links

Conclusions

• Peripheral regions have more global linkages

• Total links are positively correlated with productivity, research income, patents and licence income

• BUT not all links are related to these factors

• HEIs are transceivers of knowledge

Next Steps

• Multivariate Analysis

• Closer examination of the linkages in terms of HEI characteristics