The Science & Public Policy special issue on the Third Mission of Universities, produced by UniDev partners, is now available online to subscribing institutions:
Science and Public Policy
Volume 36, Number 2, March 2009

The 7th Triple Helix conference on “The role of Triple Helix in the Global Agenda of Innovation, Competitiveness and Sustainability” will be held in Glasgow, Scotland on 17-19 June 2009. Among other issues it plans to address the complex roles of universities in regional and national development as well as the success of the third mission of universities, which are key to the UniDev project. For further information on the conference please visit: http://www.triple-helix-7.org/

The seminar was organized by Prof. José Manoel Carvalho de Mello, Adviser for Innovation Policies to the rector of Fluminense Federal University; Researcher from the Nuclei of Studies in Knowledge, Innovation and Work, Fluminense Federal University. The seminar took place on the 6th November 2007, in the School of Engineering , Fluminense Federal University Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (more…)

Joint workshop: ”How can Nordic Countries Support Higher Education and Research in Africa? An Initiative by Nordic Academic Institutions”

As the general issue of the extension or ”third mission” of universities is widely discussed in the Scandinavian countries, it was decided instead to do a workshop together with African partners on the above theme. The workshop gathered over 30 researchers and representatives from the donor community from the Nordic countries as well as from Africa. Participating countries included Denmark, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Norway, Senegal, South Africa, Sweden, Tanzania & Uganda. The workshop addressed issues related to how Nordic universities can become more active partners in the development of HER in Africa.
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Meeting at the Latvian Academy of Sciences on the evolving role of academic institutions in Latvia

The UniDev Latvian team took part in the organisation of a regular meeting of the Latvian Academy of Sciences entitled “The evolving role of academic institutions in Latvia: challenges and perspectives” which was held on 14 December 2006 in Riga, Latvia. Presentations were given by representatives from the Ministry of Education and Science, the University of Latvia, the Transport and Telecommunication Institute and the Latvian Academy of Sciences. They were followed by a general discussion with contribution made by several invited discussants. The meeting altogether was attended by around 40 people representing high-level personnel both from the public authorities and the academic community (academy, research institutes, higher education establishments). (more…)

Universities and Development: Third Role and Social Inclusion

Montevideo, Uruguay, 23 November, 2006-12-20

1.- Framework

This workshop was conceived as an opportunity to present the results of the case study “Universidad de la República”, which followed the guidelines of the UniDev project, and to share the first results of an exploration of the direct linkages between academic research and social inclusion.
Which should be the “third role” of universities, moreover, of public universities? This is a controversial question, not only in the developing world. On the one hand, we have the controversy around the “new” third role of universities: should it be committed to economic development or to development tout court? On the other hand, we have the controversy, mainly present in Latin American public universities, around the “classical” third role: how should extension, born as the third mission in the early XX Century, be conceived today? How should the notion of solidarity be understood nowadays, in the knowledge society, from a university perspective? (more…)

Appropriation of Biotechnology in Vietnam

I. Context:
- Role of Biotech for development has got widespread recognition among developing countries, including Vietnam
- In Vietnam, there are many official documents and policies of the government on development of Biotech. Biotech development and application in Vietnam is mainly intended for:
+ Agriculture
+ Healthcare
+ Environment
- In the context of a latecomer economy, there is a necessity for comparison and mutual learning between Vietnamese communities working on biotech and other partners, national and international.
- There are several similar activities related to biotech innovation study that has been conducted. Some of them are relevant to Vietnam context. First of all, one should mention IDRC supported UNU-MERIT (formerly UNU-Intech) study on biomedical innovation activity. This study is conducted in several countries in Africa and Asia like Tanzania, Vietnam, Malaysia. However, this study is very much on general issues and sector mapping rather than looking at specific features of university research and commercialization. (more…)

The recent evolution of the Biotech local innovation system of Minas Gerais: university local firms and transnational corporations

1. The Evolution of the Biotech Innovation System of Minas Gerais
During the last decade, the Brazilian private biotechnology sector has quickly expanded. In 1993, there were 76 biotechnology firms in Brazil; by 2001, their number had increased to 354. Approximately 70% are local private firms, 25% are multinational and 5% are state-owned firms. Of their combined products, 26% are for the health care market and the rest are for agricultural, environmental and industrial fields.

Health biotech evolved in Brazil through a combination of high scientific capacity and policies geared towards fostering spin-off firms from university research. One of the most interesting experiences happened in the Southeast State of Minas Gerais. Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais State, has played an active role in building up biotech capability in Brazil. By 2000 the city hosted thirty-five biotech firms located in both its urban metropolitan area and smaller regional cities of Minas Gerais, as shown in Table 1. (more…)

Proposal for the case study on the appropriation of bio-tech

Biotechnology has established scientific traditions and a strong research potential in Latvia developed already in the soviet times thereby positioning Latvia as a respectable scientific centre in the region. While following the restoration of independence of Latvia and the respective political and economic changes in the 1990ties there was a substantial slowdown in this field, in the last decade biotechnology has also become one of the key national priorities in the field of science defined by the Cabinet of Ministers. (more…)

Linkages between bio-innovation, knowledge production and policy

1. Introduction
There is probably no better example of the necessary interaction between scientific and technological research and innovation than biotechnology. The following statement from Chris Freeman could have been inspired by life sciences related innovation:
… what is at issue is the ability of a national science and technology system to make use of the results of world science to advance national technology. It is certainly the case that it is impossible to understand and assimilate new advances in many branches of science without an active participation in the world scientific community. Moreover, it is also the case that the interdependence of science and technology is increasing and some of the most important generic new technologies are intimately related to basic science (Freeman 1987: 30).
Bio-innovation, that is, the ensemble of new products and services derived from the exploitation of new knowledge in life sciences, can be included in what current literature terms a sectoral systems of innovation. (more…)