of research income has been
£ 35m generated by the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies competition , and competition produces winners and losers . Research into the performance of universities based on financial returns showed that some are more robust than others . Broadly speaking , some of the most financially vulnerable institutions are in places where they are key anchor institutions – their financial position is not very strong but their local communities are very dependent on them . They are major employers but are vulnerable institutions in vulnerable places , under threat because of the education bill . Some of these institutions have taken out big bank loans to modernise their campuses . They are highly dependent on growing student numbers . Government legislation and international students currently favour elite institutions , leaving many smaller institutions in financial difficulty .
What were your recommendations to the Chancellor on Brexit ? I produced a report feeding into the Industrial Strategy Green Paper recommending that leading universities in the more successful cities should be thinking in terms of partnering with some of the smaller , younger institutions that are still vital in their local economy . Widened participation with local communities complements research-intensive university activities , so these smaller universities offer much towards the skills agenda . We ’ re recommending to the post-election government that careful thought be put into moderating the competitive environment created by the bill by encouraging more collaboration between universities .
So , competition requires collaboration ? Exactly ! The question for government and policymakers is how to foster collaboration . HE policy currently ignores the geography of place . Even the industrial strategy green paper is ambivalent about the role of universities . Who will take on the place-based leadership role around research and innovation and economic development ?
I have argued that Universities need a place-based fund which is clearly connected to them developing their capacity
I have argued that there should be a place-based fund , which universities can bid into , which is very clearly connected to them developing their capacity . This is where science parks and innovation sites come into play . As intermediaries . We need places where the business of science and the community can come together .
How do these views progress those of the 2003 Lambert Review ? I think that the world has moved on from the linear co-production model of knowledge presented by the Lambert review , which mainly focused on university-business collaboration . There has been massive technological change and widespread digitisation of the economy . Increasingly , commercialisation models include both co-production and experimental process , using the place , the city , or the region as a laboratory , a test bed for working out how technological development and innovations can be rolled out to the wider community . Adoption of this model needs organisational change . ■
Further reading : [ 1 ] The Civic University : the Policy and Leadership Challenges , Elgar , December 2016 . [ 2 ] Re‐inventing the Civic University , Nesta , Provocation 12 , September 2009 . [ 3 ] The University and the City , J . Goddard and P . Vallance , Routledge , 2013 . [ 4 ] Lambert Review of Business- University Collaboration , R . Lambert , Her Majesty ’ s Treasury , 2003 . [ 5 ] The Chancellor ’ s Commission ; The future role of the University of Warwick in Coventry , Warwickshire and the wider region , The University of Warwick , 2015 .
USING PLACE AS A LABORATORY
Newcastle Science City
Newcastle Science City functions as a partnership between Newcastle City Council and Newcastle University . Both partners are committed to driving science-led regeneration of Newcastle-Gateshead , with Science City as the vehicle , and the University promoting civic engagement as central to its strategic vision .
The University of Warwick
University Chancellor Sir Richard Lambert ’ s 2015 Chancellor ’ s Commission reviewed the University of Warwick ’ s role in Coventry and the surrounding region . Research-intensive Warwick University now talks to Coventry University , which has been highly successful in engagement with business and the wider local community .
Read online at : ukspa . org . uk / breakthrough Summer 2017 | UKSPA breakthrough | 23