Transcript NIRSA External Review

Spatial profiling of HEIs and the
potential for regional innovation
systems in Ireland
Prof. Rob Kitchin
NIRSA, NUI Maynooth
Higher Education & Economic Development
Context – Innovation Ireland (2010); Smart Economy (2010)
National innovation ecosystem – complex entities
• Entrepreneurs and enterprises
• Investment in R&D
• Education system, particularly HEIs (critical thinking,
creativity and innovation)
• Finance (venture capital)
• Tax and regulatory environment
• Public policy and institutions
• “Knowledge is the currency of the innovation economy and
the education system is pivotal in making innovation happen”
(Innovation Ireland, p. 3)
Higher Education Landscape
Context – Higher Education Strategy (2011)
Key functions:
(a) teaching and learning;
(b) research and knowledge transfer;
(c) external engagement
Themes: Increased participation, new types of graduates,
support for economic, social and cultural development;
internationalisation
A new framework for HE
(a) mission differentiation
(b) regional clusters – link with National Spatial Strategy
(c) ‘directed diversity’ - end of laissez faire in higher
education
Higher Education & Regional Organisation
• Context – existing functional territories of HEIs
• HEIs in Ireland have a well defined set of
functional territories which map regionally
• Some overlap of catchments, but fairly
differentiated
• No one institution has a truly national catchment
• Differentiation of vertical linkages
The Universities
NUIM
NUIG
DCU
UCD
UL
UCC
TCD
IoTs
CIT
GMIT
DIT
ITS
DKIT
WIT
Higher Education & Population Dynamics
• 1991-2011 increase of over 1m (almost 30%)
• Strong <19 demographic growth in next two decades
• Regionally differentiated in pop demographics and
education profile re. lifelong learning
National Age Profiles
• Third-level population potentials (15-19 age cohort) have
actually been in decline since 2002
– State decrease of -9.6% between ‘02 and ’11
– 283,019 within the 15-19 age cohort recorded in the 2011
Census
– Meath is the only Local Authority with an increase (+2%)
National Age Profiles
• Massive bulk of population coming down the line in all
regions/local authorities and catchments
– State increases of
• +28.3% in 0-4 Age Cohort between 2002 and 2011
• +21.5% in 5-9 Age Cohort between 2002 and 2011
– In ten years time this could lead to very high levels of Higher Education
enrolment
Regional Age Profile Projections
• Between 2006 and 2026 the number of young
persons (i.e. those aged 0-14 years) is projected
to increase by 28.8% in the State as a whole
– Projected Increases will vary across the regions (based on
CSO Regional Population Projections 2006-2026)
Example: NUIM Catchment
• Approx 5,500 enrolments to NUIM over the last 3 years (based
on IT Feeder Schools – not inc. mature/international, etc)
• Main catchment: Kildare (16.6%), Dublin City (12.4%), Meath
(9.5), South Dublin (9.5%), Fingal (8.6%), Louth (5.8%),
Westmeath (4.1%) and Offaly (3.4%)
–
–
–
–
Current 15-19 Age Cohort: 104,095
Current 10-14 Age Cohort: 110,355
Current 5-9 Age Cohort: 121,504
Current 0-4 Age Cohort: 139,949 (projected enrolment = 7,394)
Higher Education & Regional Innovation System
• Given these contexts (economic policy, HE strategy,
existing regionalisation, population dynamics) one path
forward is the active development of HE-led regional
innovation systems
• Within regions, autonomous but connected HEIs work in
competitive collaboration, sharing and aligning HE
provision and engaging with a region’s civil society and
public/private sectors
• At the same time retain and encourage diagonal and
vertical linkages (cross-regional and international).
Universities are national drivers of growth, not just
regional drivers
• This has already begun to happen through SIF, PRTLI,
SFI initiatives and HEI strategic alliances, industry
partnerships
Higher Education & RISs
• From ‘districts’ & ‘clusters’ to ‘regional innovation systems’ (RIS)
• RIS is more generic – emphasis on economic and social
relations and networks spanning the public & private sectors
within regions embedded in national and global production
systems.
• Regional Innovation Platforms  Constructed Regional
Advantage
• Regions recognised as key drivers of innovation – key attributes
include density of actors, connectedness, knowledge bases,
flexibility and mobility in labour markets
• HEIs as key players in regional innovation ecosystems – focus
on human capital formation and enhancement, knowledge
spillovers, translation and knowledge transfer mechanisms,
catalysts for strategic partnerships, global networking –>
potential for enduring transformations
RIS, types of HEI and mix
Knowledge: domains, providers and diffusion
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•
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Analytical – know why – ‘blue skies’ R&D
Synthetic – know how – applied science & engineering,
Symbolic – know who – creative arts & humanities
•
In reality each type provided by most HEIs, but intensity and density of
provision varies by HEI and region
Institutional diversity a strength, but greater impact via system coherence
Highest levels of innovation and added value when all 3 combined
•
•
•
RIS seeks to provide all three through collaboration and alignment to
regional profile
•
Need to recognize that:
– HEI is complementary to regional development, but it is not
subservient to it.
– the diverse roles of HEIs as sites of learning and the value of
Engaged rather than Entrepreneurial approach
Types of Higher Education Institutions
•
•
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Humboldt / Newman University --- focus on ‘formation of the person’
Engaged University --- origins in late C19th US land-grant universities
Entrepreneurial University --- ‘triple helix model’ based on new
relationships between academia, industry and government.
Engaged University
•
•
•
Entrepreneurial University
Knowledge as a public good
•
supported by open science
Knowledge value determined by peer •
assessment within the university
system on basis of cognitive
rationality
•
Autonomy and fiduciary system are
fundamental
Knowledge as a commodity to
generate revenue for providers
Knowledge value often
determined by external agents
guided by economic rationality
Subservient to economic and
political interests
Conclusions
• HEIs are to come under increasing pressure over next two
decades
– Huge demographic pressures to expand
– Political pressure to serve society and economy in more explicit
ways; to provide more differentiated HEI landscape
– Public/political pressure to be recognised as ‘world class’ institutions
• Under-resourced and uncoordinated incremental expansion
problematic, at same time needs to be self-organising and
organic and to retain autonomy
• One path forward is regional innovation systems that
complement and strengthen regional economies whilst
scaling to national and international HEI landscape
• Links together autonomous institutions into strategic alliances
to provide complementary and differentiated HE teaching,
research and engagement
• Such RIS in development, but at early stages
• Requires alignment of other government policy such as
National Spatial Strategy and National Development Plan
and investment
www.airo.ie
airomaps.nuim.ie/HEIcatchments
[email protected]