Working Paper #2018-042
Making ideas work for society: University cooperation in knowledge transfer
Sustainable economic growth is more brought about by ideas, knowledge
and human capital than by physical capital, like machines, buildings or
land. Universities are one of the sources of ideas and of human capital.
We focus on the third function of universities, next to education and
research, in particular on knowledge transfer. Knowledge transfer is
highly visible in agglomerations like Silicon Valley. Many countries
nowadays have strategies to step up knowledge transfer as a source of
sustainable economic growth.
Knowledge is recognised to have its strongest potential impact close to
the place where it is generated. This makes a university attractive to
the region in which it is located. The university contributes to
sustainable economic growth not only through the expenditures associated
with the running of the university, but perhaps more by the knowledge
transfer. This involves amongst others partnerships with business.
Knowledge transfer does not come by itself. It requires action and
strategy on the part of the university, the region and local public or
private actors (businesses and public organisations). It appears that US
and UK top-universities are more prominent not only in realising
cooperation with business, but also among each other.
- Keywords
-
- Knowledge transfer
- innovation
- university-business cooperation
- triple helix
- JEL codes
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- I21
- I25
- O31
- O32
- O33
- O34
Cite this as
APA 7th ed.Ritzen, J. (2018). Making ideas work for society: University cooperation in knowledge transfer (UNU-MERIT Working Paper No. 2018-042). UNU-MERIT. https://unu-merit.nl/publications/working-papers/abstract/?id=8007