According to new scientific research, universities play a central role in the current knowledge economy. That’s why it is probably not surprising that many cities and regions cherish their universities and institutions for higher education. A growing number of cities has started to cooperate with universities intensively. The City of Delft took the initiative to set up the URBACT EUniverCities project with 9 other medium-sized cities.
Cooperation between municipalities and universities
There are many reasons for universities and cities to cooperate: strengthening local economies, innovation, or attracting talent. In Delft, ‘governance’ forms a central theme. There are already many contacts between the municipality, Delft University of Technology, The Hague University of Applied Sciences and other relevant stakeholders. The URBACT Project EUniverCities is supposed to take the existing cooperation to a higher level. Patrick van Geel, senior advisor European affairs for Delft Municipality, explains why he believes the URBACT project is so important for his city.
Concrete Initiatives and the Power to Act
“A diverse group of people is involved in the EUniverCities project. They all have considerable power when it comes to making decisions affecting the university and the city,” Van Geel says. He believes the strategic and political attraction of the project is strong. Now they need to formulate concrete actions that can be executed by the different partners involved in the project in Delft. Van Geel especially hopes that local universities will be given more space to experiment in the city, in so-called ‘Living Labs’. The city is also supposed to become an attractive location for international students and knowledge workers to settle in.
Living Labs
In the context of the URBACT Project, Living Labs have to come to play a central role. In these Labs, research teams of local research-and knowledge institutes should work on solutions to urban problems, that could subsequently be tested in the built environment. “One could for example think of innovative forms of healthcare or sustainable energy.” Patrick van Geel explains. “Delft University of Technology is currently developing a Green Campus; a sustainable, creative and lively place where new technical solutions can be developed. The knowledge that is created here, could of course also be used in the city itself. That way, the city would become an experimental zone and a showcase for new technologies at the same time. Both would help to export innovations and put Delft on the map.”
Delft as a Welcoming Host City
Delft is also going to focus on becoming a welcoming and hospitable city. It will especially focus on internationalisation and housing for international students and researchers. New housing projects should turn Delft into an attractive city for international students to settle in. “We want to put Delft on the map, and turn it into Europe’s most attractive technical university city. International technical students should come to see Delft as the place to be. We also want to promote Delft’s an as innovative city. We want to become a European hotspot for the development of technical solutions to social problems.”
Competitiveness and Quality
Delft isn’t the only city trying to strengthen its image as international and high quality university city. Also nearby cities such as Leiden, The Hague and Rotterdam want to improve their international profiles through knowledge and education. “We especially want to distinguish ourselves on the basis of technology. In addition, the quality of education and housing in Delft should be very high,” Van Geel says. In the future Delft might want to cooperate with other Dutch cities more intensively. Van Geel doesn’t want to exclude that possibility. “Dutch university cities are interested in our project., and we would like to share our knowledge. But for now, I think that it is most valuable for us to compare ourselves with other European partners. We are greatly inspired by their local contexts and conditions, which are often different from ours.”
Learning from URBACT EUniverCities
Delft expects a lot from the EUniverCities project. The city had already set up another international network under the same name, which exchanges knowledge and experience with European partner cities. A part of this network is now working on concrete initiatives within the URBACT programme. “We especially expect to learn from Scandinavian partner cities. They already have a lot of experience when it comes to the connection between academic research and social issues. In Linköping (Sweden) an Innovation Office functions as a link between the private sector, the university and the municipality. In Tampere (Finland), the Demola-concept is being used, which is also going to be applied in Delft.” Van Geel also points at partner city Aveiro in Portugal. “Nowadays we mainly hear about crisis and unemployment in Southern Europe, but I think that this bleak image doesn’t provide a complete picture of the situation there. In Aveiro, people know how to connect new developments to their policies and European institutions and projects. Social innovation forms an important issue there, and should for example contribute to better employment perspectives for students. They can in turn form an important link with the local population and the private sector.”
Read more :
EUniverCities – URBACT Website
By URBACT National Dissemination Point in The Netherlands
