How can universities contribute to regional competitiveness policy-making?
ISSN: 1059-5422
Article publication date: 2 January 2020
Issue publication date: 2 January 2020
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to contribute to understanding regional competitiveness policy-making and the role academic organisations can play in that process. Competitiveness policies have evolved in the past decades from a single to a multiple-domain field, which has made the policy-making process more complex by adding more actors with their particular experience and view. This complexity, together with the relevance of overcoming traditional policy implementation failures, pleads for a new approach to competitiveness policy-making, in which academic organisations can act as “anchor institutions”. This framework is based on the adaptive implementation concept.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses the Basque case to analyse the role of universities in competitiveness policy-making and focuses on a specific academic organisation, which has contributed through different projects to regional policy-making. Evidences from those projects through different policy phases are included in the case.
Findings
The case shows how academic organisations might play a key role in fostering an adaptive implementation approach in competitiveness policy-making at the regional level and which specific characteristics these organisations should develop to fulfil this role.
Originality/value
This paper brings together two important issues for regional competitiveness: the importance of policy implementation and the particular role of engaged universities in such a process.
Keywords
Citation
Aranguren, M.J. and Magro, E. (2020), "How can universities contribute to regional competitiveness policy-making?", Competitiveness Review, Vol. 30 No. 2, pp. 101-117. https://doi.org/10.1108/CR-11-2018-0071
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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