Universities in Evolutionary Systems of Innovation

This paper criticizes the current narrow view on the role of universities in knowledge-based economies. We propose to extend the current policy framework of universities in national innovation systems (NIS) to a more dynamic one, based on evolutionary economic principles. The main reason is that this dynamic view fits better with the practice of innovation processes. We contribute on ontological and methodological levels to the literature and policy discussions on the effectiveness of university-industry knowledge transfer and the third mission of universities. We conclude with a discussion of the policy implications for the main stakeholders