Karlstad University, an important actor in the regional development
Karlstad University in brief 16 000 students 270 PhD 1200 employees (70% as teachers / researchers) 96 professors (26% female) > 100 MEuro in turnover (60% teaching / 40 % research ) 70 programs (30 on advanced level), approx 900 courses >43% of the research is externally funded
Karlstad University History Teaching traditions since 1843 1967, Karlstad university collegue was affilated to Gothenburgh university 1977, Karlstad became university collegue 1999, Karlstad was granted university status by the Swedish state
Strong education areas Teacher education Financial/business education (business school) Education in health and care Various technical and natural science education programs (engineers)
Strategic research environments Service and serviceinnovation research (CTF) Computer science (DV) Chemical/physics-engineering science (Interact) Material science (CMM) Cultural science (Kufo)
Research and Innovation cooperation
OECD 14-Region Study 2004-2007 Higher Education and the Regions: Globally Competitive, Locally Engaged Värmland one of 14 regions in 12 countries Final conference in Valencia 2007 The OECD program for Institutional Management in Higher Education (IMHE)
Poor Utilisation and Low Impact European Science Paradox: Excellent at Science Poor at Utilisation Economy Science The Valley of Death Society
Tradition (long..) of collaborative projects between the university and industry and society but Not in a strategic way!
No or poor support to researchers Research applications & funding Research-result commercialization/utilization Collaboration and partnerships
Grants and Innovation Office, GIO Expertise and support regarding research funding Grants and Innovation Office Strategic external relations Regional National International Expertise and support regarding utilization of research Knowledge Exchange not Technology Transfer Established during 2009
Research funding support Strategic research funding support Initiate and keep relationships with financing institutions/funders Support building of organizational competence regarding research strategies and external funding Process and model development Focus on partnership and impact/utilization strategies Operational research funding support Stimulate and train PhD s, researchers and research groups to apply for funding, part of career development Guidance and support in application processes Support in building partnerships with companies or other organisations
EU 2020 Europe 2020 is the strategy for growth in Europe Horizon 2020, a 70.2 billion euro research and innovation funding programme (2014-2020) Focus on collaboration with industry and society
National Research Funding Agencies Trends Follows EU Part of EU Involvement of public actors or industry Internationalisation and mobility Increased utilization and innovation Interdisciplinary Link to higher education
Innovation support - Utilization for research Stimulate to impact and utilization thinking Workshops, seminars, training Speaking-partner in early stage PHd s, researchers, research-leaders, management Coaching with funds (VFT Verification for Growth) VFT 1 dialogue process (covered in stages) (max 300 KSEK/idea, 1-2 weeks for decision) VFT 2 (Vinnova) application to Vinnova (max 2 MSEK/idea / not for research, two times per year, 6-8 weeks for decision) Connector to resources outside our university (incubators, other innovation offices nationally/internationally, clusters, companies, public organisations, funding agencies, competence networks )
In 2009 eight (now twelve) innovation officies were defined in Sweden thanks to a specific initiative by the Ministry of Education and Research The main goal with the initiative is to increase the capacity and the ability to utilize research coming from Swedish universities The Innovation Office Fyrklövern is one of the twelve; A joint venture between the four youngest universities in Sweden; Karlstad University, Linnaeus University, Mid Sweden University and Örebro University Support to regional and interregional development is part of the strategy for Fyrklövern
The Innovation process Verified Kau-ideas Choices Idébanken (Licensbank Fyrklövern) Incubator Other actors Education Research -ers Via GIO Research Free Licens Students Via Drivhuset and GIO Case-databas Licensing Commercial Licens Other employees Via GIO Start-up Incubator company Other company
Student/education related cooperation
Studentcooperation Creating meetings between students and worklife Guest lectures Company visits Studentprojects Thesisprojects Mentorprograms Alumni meetings Partner agreements
Karlstad Professional Services AB Core areas Teacher training Business and administration Health care, nursing Industry, IT and technology Course examples Dental hygiene, 120 ECTS Master of public administration, 90 ECTS Tissue technology, 7,5 ECTS Basic course in accident investigation, 7.5 ECTS.
Regional development activities
OECD 14-Region Study 2004-2007 Higher Education and the Regions: Globally Competitive, Locally Engaged Värmland one of 14 regions in 12 countries Final conference in Valencia 2007 The OECD program for Institutional Management in Higher Education (IMHE)
Dare to focus Form a forum for politicians, researchers and the business sector concerning the economic and political future of the region and make the decisions necessary to secure the region s future development. Form a shared vision with prioritised strategies for Värmland Focus even more on the innovative clusters within the region Form a R&I contract between Region Värmland and Karlstad University with the innovative clusters development in mind. Form a regionally owned risk capital foundation. Upgrade the regional infrastructure to secure workforce mobility. Region Värmland should form its organsiation and policies in accordance with these recommendations.
Energy and environment Material and Design Center Service Research Center Computer Science Regional development Pedagogical studies Research & Innovation agreement Karlstad University and Region Värmland, (joint initiative, 150 msek during 2010-2014) Professorship Energy efficiency Professorship Renewable energy Professorship userdriven packaging development Professorship Production systems Professorship Materialscience Professorship service orientation within industry Professorship Test of ITsystems Professorship Cloud computing Professorship Regional Development Professorship School development Municipalities in Värmland (16)
Regional Innovationssystem Spets Regionala strategiska utvecklingsområden - innovationer, entreprenörskap och kompetenscentra Innovationer & akademiskt entreprenörsskap Vivan Innovationer från vården Drivhuset Studenters entreprenörskap GIO, Karlstads universitet (IK Fyrklövern) Inova affärsinkubator Tillväxt inom samhälle, forskning och utbildning Innovation Park Branschinriktat entreprenörsskap - kompetenscentra & kluster The Paper Province Compare ExperioLab (Vård) Visit Värmland Stål & Verkstad The Packaging Arena Nordic Innov Food Arena Vinnova ALMI/IB Tillväxtverket KK-stiftelsen Region Värmland Service Providers Regionala/nationella aktörer med särskilda tjänster relevanta för innovationssystemet Banker Revisorer Jurister Patentbyråer Design-/ prototyputvecklare Riskkapital/ Affärsänglar Kommunikations- & marknadsbyråer Bas Generella aktörer och stöd på regional nivå Handelskammaren i Värmland Länsstyrelsen Värmland Region Värmland ALMI Företagspartner Landstinget i Värmland Svenskt Näringsliv / Företagarna Nisch Specifika stöd till prioriterade målgrupper och verksamheter Communicare Ungdomar Arbetsförmedlingen Arbetslösa IFS Invandrare Companion Socialt/Kooperativt RRC Kvinnor Nyföretagarcentrum Lokalt - generellt nyföretagarstöd Exportrådet Internationellt UF Ung Företagsamhet
Involvement in recent regional development activities The R&I agreement (2010-2014) and the future agreement (ongoing) Part of the regional strategy development Värmlands strategin Norge strategin Klusterstrategin One of three, with Region Värmland and Municipality of Karlstad, drivers for SP and The Interactive Institute decisions to establish in Karlstad One of the main actors within TPP 2.0 (Vinnväxt) Part of the regional entrepreneaurship project Det Företagsamma Värmland One of the drivers behind Innovation Park Part of Smart Specialization strategy work (ongoing) And many more joint activities, like Open Days events..
External feedback
Pure, (OECD review follow-up in 2010-2011) Statements from Steve Garlic (OECD, PURE): I have not seen any other region in the world build a well functioning regional innovation system in such a short time frame as in Värmland In the area of Regional Innovation Strategies, we witnessed a number of significant achievements both in terms of regional cluster organisations, and overall regional architecture to connect different strategic players, both locally and internationally. The links between regional clusters and the University have developed substantially over the year. In terms of the strategic relationship between region and Karlstad University, one of the most important achievements over the last 12 months is the prospective appointments of professors partly financed by the Region Värmland with close links with the clusters.
Värmland, a role model regarding research collaboration (2011-2012) European University Association, EUA (www.eua.be), arrangerade den 12-13 maj ett möte i Karlstad om forskningssamarbete. Mötet är en del i ett arbete med workshops som arrangeras runt om i Europa för att samla och utbyta erfarenheter kring hur universiteten i Europa rustar sig för framtiden och hur man förändrar sitt sätt att samarbeta med näringsliv och andra aktörer. Näringsdepartementet representerades av Åsa Minoz, projektledare för Innovationsstrategin och Anders Nyberg, politiskt sakkunnig. -Det var ett mycket intressant möte som verkligen visar potentialen i lyckade samarbeten mellan universitet, näringsliv och offentliga aktörer inom regional och lokal utveckling. Inte minst var det intressant att höra mer om exemplen från Värmland. Det finns mycket att lära från deras arbete, sade Åsa Minoz efter mötet. Mötet fokuserade bland annat på samarbetet mellan universitet och kluster. På mötet deltog företrädare från olika europeiska lärosäten, från Karlstads Universitet, och från regionen och kluster som exempelvis Compare, Paper Province, Packaging Arena och klustret för Stål och Verkstad. Under mötet framhöll bland annat John Goddard, professor i regional utveckling från universitetet i Newcastle (Storbritannien), att sättet samarbeta i Värmland mellan Karlstad Universitet, med näringsliv och lokala och regionala offentliga aktörer kring forskning och utbildning är ett föredöme för lärosäten runtom i Europa. Professor John Goddard report Connecting Universities to Regional Growth: A Practical Guide http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/presenta/universities2011/universities2011_en.pdf
Högskoleverket ranks studentcooperation At Karlstad University cooperation is not treated as a third mission, it is included in normal work related to students and education Cooperation is integrated in education programs and the support to both students and worklife is included in the university culture Comparing with others shows that Karlstad university is more active than most in building relations between students and worklife
Review of Region Värmland Karlstad University R&I-agreement (autumn 2013 by Curds/Circle) It is our view that the collaboration agreement between Region Värmland and Karlstad University (RegionVärmland and KaU 2010) and the cluster strategy Värmland model 2.0 fit well within the policy framework of European and national innovation strategies. More specifically the recent success of one of the clusters in VINNOVAS s Vinnväxt competition can be interpreted as an indicator for a good alignment of the regional development strategy with the national policy agenda.
Have we reached the ultimate level of cooperation?
Of course NOT! We are on a journey it is all about Culture and attitude changes both within and outside the academy (but we do have a good foundation now)
Håkan Spjuth Director of External Relations Karlstad University +46 54 700 1040 +46 70 683 1040 hakan.spjuth@kau.se kau.se/gio