Universities and territorial development

This contribution aims at highlighting some key issues of the evolutionary process of universities, underlining in particular their role in promoting economic development and local communities. The recent shift in paradigm from the ivory tower to the entrepreneurial university has been dramatic and raises both consensus and criticism. This research proposes that this evolutionary process does not entail the emergence of one model of university, on the contrary, it entails the emergence of differentiated models. These possible models can be outlined along the two strategic dimensions of geographic orientation (local, global, glocal) and core activity (teaching, research, both). The glocal university addresses contemporarily the needs and opportunities provided by the local environment together with those deriving from the global one. They develop a two tier system of ties, both local and global, thus enhancing the exposure of the local society and economy to the influence of external knowledge. This contribution proposes a model where a more complex role of universities is highlighted and the “entrepreneurial and technological” paradigm — as suggested by the triple helix model — is complemented by a more comprehensive role, which portraits universities as catalyser of local development also in human and social sciences. Moreover, universities characterise — in some cases distinctively — the urban environment and landscape, thus activating tourists flows, generate a local “culture” not only in terms of goods but also of events and activities, of people and buzz and contribute to connect the local system to the global ones.