The role of universities in generating territorial capacities for innovation and development

Abstract

: The authors of this article reflect on the potential role of universities in building capacity for innovation and regional development. It is part of conceiving the territory as a space in which the plurality of a society manifest and place where social interaction for transformation and development occur.From various currents studying local and regional economic development, special emphasis is place on the importance of innovation as a driver of these processes. In the same way, the article highlights the influence of the territory in the production of these innovations and the role of universities in them. It is argued that multiple interactions between governments, businesses, organizations, technology centers and universities create an environment that facilitates the formation and dissemination of knowledge, giving place to innovative territories.The capital that is built through such interactions is enhanced when new forms of governance, understood as a style of government characterized by the interplay between state and actors in multilevel networks of public-private partnerships, is developed. In this sense the existence of networks of territorial governance contribute to building innovative environments. In addition to producing scientific and technological knowledge appropriated by other regional actors, universities can play a key role in building regional capacities, when acting as facilitators of the meeting and articulation of actors, for example, as producers of social innovations (understood as innovations in interactions) that enable the co-construction and appropriation of scientific and technological innovations. From this perspective, this article seeks to provide ideas on how universities can contribute to the generation of territorial capabilities.