From Co-Existence to Co-Creation: 
Open Innovation in Universities and Regional Innovation Ecosystems
28 May 2024, 9.00-13.00 via Zoom

Background and Content of the Workshop 

Striving to become a role model for regionally based, small to medium-sized universities across Europe, the COLOURS Alliance focuses on a systemic and cultural transition of academic institutions, moving away from a merely “topic-driven” towards a more inclusive and responsive “challenge and impact-driven” research and innovation approach. A major goal of this Alliance is to establish sustainable, challenge-driven regional innovation ecosystems across the European Higher Education Area by developing and implementing Open Innovation practices inside and outside of universities. Through CoSpaces, CoLabs, a digital CoHub platform, and other co-creation formats, our Alliance endeavours to facilitate transdisciplinary matchmaking processes, addressing complex global and regional challenges. 

In the workshop, we will elaborate on the transformative potential of the COLOURS approach in fostering social and technological innovation across our universities and regions. Participants will gain insights into the cross-cutting dimension of Open Innovation, where a wider understanding of “transfer” will become a driver for collaborative success.

Key content of the workshop

  • Basic Understanding of Open Innovation 
  • Reflection of Open Innovation in the context of European University Alliances
  • Approaches and Possibilities for Open Innovation in the COLOURS Alliance
  • Roles and Responsibilities in Open Innovation Processes inside and outside Academia
  • Challenges and Risks Associated with Implementing Open Innovation