The Role Of Universities In Innovation And
Sustainable Development
Author(s)
G. Vidican
Abstract
The role of universities in innovation and economic development has been
widely documented. However, universities’ contribution to sustainable
development and innovation in renewable energy technologies has not been
previously researched. We use case study analysis to explore the knowledge
exchange mechanisms between university and industry in fostering innovation in
the solar photovoltaic sector and to sustainable development in general, in
different locales. We believe that universities play a key role in both technology
development and economic growth, and we hypothesize that the way in which
these goals are achieved depends on the specifics of the sector, the local
economy, and the larger institutional environment.
We find that the role of universities in innovation and sustainable
development is most valuable for the private and public sector in five main areas:
(a) contributing to fundamental research; (b) combining existing knowledge; (c)
education and training (curriculum development); (d) creating space for open
exploration of ideas; (e) community involvement. Hence, what matters is not
only technology development, but also contributions in terms of assimilation and
absorption of these factors by various social groups, such that the result is a
change in behaviour or practices.
Keywords: universities, innovation, sustainability, renewable energy, solar
photovoltaic.
1 Introduction
The last decade has been marked by new evidence showing the urgency of
climate change problems and calling for action to not only better understand
Keywords
universities, innovation, sustainability, renewable energy, solar
photovoltaic.
Related Book
Other papers in this volume
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