The Role of Universities In Fostering Innovation In Post-Industrial Cities

Both the Council of Europe and the European Union play an active role in post-industrial urban transition and renaissance. Post-industrial urban changes have dramatically accentuated a need for sharp and fast adaptations of scientific research, knowledge transfer, and university teaching. The post-industrial context has already been recognized as part of the relevant research and studying context by many European universities, at least to some extent. An excellent example comes from the European University of Cities in Post-Industrial Transition (UNIC), a European Universities alliance. The European academia has commenced a new, innovation-friendly phase of its development. Further research is needed if we wish to answer the question about the real capacity of the European academia for achieving the changes in study programs, teaching methods, scientific research, and knowledge transfer that fit the fast and deep transformation of societal demands.