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Globalization, Regional Development, and the Evolving Local University Role: The Case of Vestfold, Norway

  • Chapter
Universities in Change

Part of the book series: Innovation, Technology, and Knowledge Management ((ITKM))

Abstract

The competitiveness of firms and regions in a globalizing economy rests on their ability to continuously develop and exploit specialized knowledge assets. The development of such assets is contingent on the activities and networks maintained by individual firms (Giuliani 2005); on the composition of the industrial structure (Boschma and Iammarino 2009; Frenken et al. 2007); and on mechanisms that enable knowledge to flow and recombine between activities. As products and processes are becoming increasingly complex and the global division of labor deepens, firms are forced to draw on a wide range of component technologies and complementary capabilities (Rothaermel et al. 2006) and combine leading scientific insights with specialized, experience-based knowledge. Thus, innovation at the firm level is becoming embedded in global innovation networks. These processes link long-term regional development more tightly to the ability to develop and institutionalize an infrastructure for knowledge development and diffusion, which functions independently of whether or not industry maintains local supply chain collaboration.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    NEW knowledge and technology for PACKaging of Microsystems (NEWPACK) was a collaborative research program founded by the Norwegian Research Councilin 2003–2006.

  2. 2.

    MultiMEMS N: Manufacturing Cluster Providing Multi-functional MEMS Services to the Industry is a collaborative research program founded by the Norwegian Research Councilfrom 2003 to 2004.

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Acknowledgments

This chapter is based on research funded by the Norwegian Research Council, under the Regional Development Program, and conducted as part of the “Regional modes of innovation” project lead by University of Agder and Dr. James Karlsen. In addition, the authors wish to thank researcher Siri Aanstad of NIFU STEP for her contribution of background material gathered in relation to ongoing work on changes in the higher education sector. This work is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Research and Education and coordinated by Agnete Vabø of NIFU.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education, Wergelandsveien 7, 0167, Oslo, Norway

    Sverre J. Herstad

  2. Vestfold University College, Raveien 197, 3184, Borre, Norway

    Thomas Brekke

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  1. Sverre J. Herstad
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  2. Thomas Brekke
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Correspondence to Sverre J. Herstad .

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  1. MCI Management Center Innsbruck—The Entrepreneurial School, Innsbruck, Austria

    Andreas Altmann  & Bernd Ebersberger  & 

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Herstad, S.J., Brekke, T. (2012). Globalization, Regional Development, and the Evolving Local University Role: The Case of Vestfold, Norway. In: Altmann, A., Ebersberger, B. (eds) Universities in Change. Innovation, Technology, and Knowledge Management. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4590-6_20

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