RURAL DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE KNOWLEDGE BRIEF SUMMER 2017

Post-Secondary Education and Innovation

INTRODUCTION TO POST-SECONDARY INNOVATION
Recent decades have seen growing expectations on post-secondary institutions to fulfill roles not
only as educators and researchers, but also to contribute to their surrounding regional and
national economic, social, and cultural environments.1–3 There is a broad range of models and
concepts describing potential ways that post-secondary institutions can innovate in these areas.2,3
For example, early studies considered post-secondary institutions as “knowledge factories” that
can have local economic impacts through the spillover of scientific knowledge (e.g., new college
graduates added to the local workforce).3 Another example is the “entrepreneurial model”, which
claims that post-secondary institutions promote the development of their regions by engaging in
patenting, licensing, and academic spin-off activities generated from subjects such as engineering,
information technology, and biotechnology.2 Then there is the “regional innovation system (RIS)
approach”, which is explicitly focused on how post-secondary institutions can contribute to
regional economic development.2 Finally, models such as “mode 2” and the “engaged university”
go beyond regional economic development and direct attention to social, cultural, and societal
activities that post-secondary institutions can potentially engage in.2,3
This knowledge brief will provide an overview of literature highlighting some of the potential ways
for post-secondary institutions to contribute to regional innovation in rural regions such as the
Columbia Basin-Boundary region. The main focus is on the role of post-secondary institutions in
the RIS approach because of the explicit aim of influencing regional economic development.
Examples of applied research collaborations between colleges and industry sectors, drawn from
Colleges and Institutes Canada’s Innovation Showcase, have been added to text boxes throughout
this document. These examples highlight innovation projects from mainly rural regions of Canada.

EDUCATION AND INNOVATION
Post-secondary education is an important ingredient in regional innovation. Currently in British
Columbia (BC) the shortage of workers with the necessary education and skills to help companies
grow and innovate is estimated to be costing the economy up to $7.9 billion in potential GDP and
over $1.8 billion in lost tax revenues annually.4 Fortunately, the education and training role of
post-secondary institutions in rural regions can contribute to the availability of a well-trained
workforce that can stimulate productivity, innovation, and clusters within industry sectors.5,6

DEVELOPING SOFTWARE FOR THE
FORESTRY INDUSTRY16
Selkirk College’s Geospatial Research Centre
supported a local forestry software company in
designing software for forestry harvesting
operations, production, and domestic and
international lumber sales. The software was
customized for southeastern BC, but has potential to
be used across the global forestry industry.

AQUACULTURE AND HYDROPONICES IN
SOUTHERN ALBERTA17
Lethbridge College is helping the region’s
aquaponics producers overcome technical problems
and policy obstacles through an applied research
project in a campus greenhouse. Aquaponics
combines aquaculture and hydroponic food growing
methods through a water re-circulation system.
Produce grown in the campus greenhouse is being
sold in southern Alberta restaurants.

To enhance innovation capabilities in
rural regions, some scholars
recommend that rural regions focus on
skills provided at the level of technical
colleges, engineering schools,
management schools, etc.7 In BC, many
employers want post-secondary
institutions to increase emphasis on
work-integrated learning, including cooperative education, internships,
mentoring, capstone projects, group
work, and post-secondary institutionbased consultancy opportunities.4
Collaboration between post-secondary
institutions (e.g., through shared
knowledge and resources) can enable
colleges to build their areas of
expertise, which in turn can enhance
student learning opportunities that
have long-term benefits on regional
economic development and innovation
(See Rural Workforce Development
Strategies Knowledge Brief).8

RIS APPROACH
As the Columbia Basin Rural Development Institute’s knowledge brief on Regional Innovation
explains, regional innovation systems involve multiple public and private stakeholders
collaborating to support innovation to stimulate economic development in a region.9,10 The
production and transmission of knowledge and skills is a key building block for a RIS.7
According to the RIS approach, post-secondary institutions play a core role in the regional
innovation process as they are considered to be a key player in a region’s knowledge
infrastructure.1,2 Knowledge infrastructure is the physical and organizational infrastructure needed
to support innovation.11 Post-secondary institutions are active in shaping regional innovation
outcomes and network elements (e.g., links and nodes).1

Ru ra l Developm en t I n s titu te KNOW LE DGE BRIE F Summ er 2 017

2

The RIS approach emphasizes that
knowledge can be exchanged between
post-secondary institutions and industries
through contract research, formal research
and development collaborations,
commercialization activities, and nonfinancial forms of knowledge transfer such
as knowledge spillover and informal
relationships.2 A crucial element to the RIS
approach is that post-secondary
institutions share knowledge not only with
large corporations, but also small-andmedium sized enterprises and industry
clusters.3

NORTHERN MINING TECHNOLOGY18
Yukon College and the mining industry in
northern Canada are partnering on research and
innovation in environmental technologies
adapted for mining in northern environments.
Lab and field experiments include
bioremediation at mine sites, metal uptake in
constructed wetlands, and other
environmentally conscious mining techniques.
Students are also benefiting from learning
opportunities in the classroom, lab, and field, as
well as access to new laboratory equipment.

Colleges and Institutes Canada notes that colleges and related post-secondary institutions across
Canada partner with public and private sector partners to foster innovation in all sectors of the
economy.12 Since the 2010-2011 school year, there has been an increase in partnerships between
colleges and micro-enterprises (1 to 4 employees), small-and-medium sized enterprises (5 to 500
employees), large corporations (over 500 employees), and non-profit sector.12 However, the
country as a whole is still behind its global competition in key measures of innovation.13

METALLURGY RESEARCH AND SME
PRODUCTIVITY19
Cégep de Trois-Rivières is partnered with a
multinational corporation (RioTintoAlcan) and
eight SMEs from the aluminum industry across
various urban and rural regions in Quebec.
RioTintoAlcan subcontracts research and
development in casting-alloys to a research
centre at Cégep de Trois-Rivières, which has the
necessary scientific resources and materials. The
knowledge and innovations from this research
then benefits the SMEs, most of which do not
have the scientific resources and specialized
equipment to conduct the research on their own.
For example, one project was able to increase
casting capacity while also using less metal.
Students also benefit from this work through
course curriculum, end-of-studies project
opportunities, and internships.

Some scholars have been critical of early
writing on the RIS approach for setting
unrealistic expectations about the
research, innovation, and value creation
contributions that local post-secondary
institutions should have on the region.3
However, more recent writings have also
emphasized the importance of
contributions from post-secondary
institutions from outside a region (e.g.,
provincial, national, and international
networks).2 For example, companies in the
rural regions of Horten (electronics
industry) and Raufoss (lightweight
material goods industry) in Norway
develop most of their important researchbased knowledge through collaborations
with major research institutes and
universities in other regions of the
country.14

Many studies on innovation focus on
examples of regional collaborations that result in major success stories (e.g., Silicon Valley and
Stanford University).3,15 But this emphasis on a few key urban areas risks overgeneralizing the
potential for highly innovative and successful collaborations between industry sectors and
universities, while undervaluing the role that local context has in shaping economic development
opportunities.3,15

Ru ra l Developm en t I n s titu te KNOW LE DGE BRIE F Summ er 2 017

3

ADAPTING FORESTRY TO CLIMATE
CHANGE20
The College of New Caledonia’s Natural Resources
and Environmental Technology program in BC’s
central interior is collaborating on an applied forestry
research project with local forest companies, the
provincial government, three research forests, and
researchers at other post-secondary institutions. The
project is trying to determine which tree species are
better adapted for future climate change impacts and
will provide commercial forest products. In addition to
the industry benefiting, a long-term goal is to provide
a teaching and demonstration facility (i.e., research
forest sites) for forestry students.

It is important for policy makers and
regional economic development
practitioners to acknowledge that
there is a great deal of complexity and
diversity within a post-secondary
institution, and that post-secondary
institutions play different roles in
different regional economies.3 The
future success of each post-secondary
institution will, to a large extent,
“depend upon their strategic choices
and the local abilities to upgrade
curricula, develop new areas of
research and to build alliances.”1

The ability of post-secondary
institutions to take on the role of
developing regional economic, social, and cultural environments is dependent on a number of
circumstances.1 This includes the characteristic of the individual institutions, the various regions in
which they are located, and the national policy frameworks.1

REFRENCES AND RESOURSES
1.

Arbo, P. & Benneworth, P. Understanding the Regional Contribution of Higher Education
Institutions: A Literature Review. (2007).

2.

Trippl, M., Sinozic, T. & Smith, H. L. The Role of Universities in Regional Development:
Conceptual Models and Policy Institutions in the UK, Sweden and Austria. Eur. Plan. Stud.
23, 1722–1740 (2015).

3.

Uyarra, E. Conceptualizing the Regional Roles of Universities, Implications and
Contradictions. Eur. Plan. Stud. 18, 1227–1246 (2010).

4.

Mckean, M., Coburn, V. & Maclaine, C. PSE Skills for a Prosperous British Columbia: 2016
Edition. (2016).

5.

Whitener, L. A. & Parker, T. Policy Options for a Changing Rural America. Amber Waves 5,
58–65 (2007).

6.

Gibbs, R. Education as a Rural Development Strategy. Amber Waves 3, 20–25 (2005).

7.

Tödtling, F. & Trippl, M. One size fits all? Towards a differentiated regional innovation
policy approach. Res. Policy 34, 1203–1219 (2005).

8.

Fox, H. L. Six workforce development initiatives that are laying the pathway to success.
Community Coll. J. Res. Pract. 39, 727–740 (2015).

9.

Asheim, B. T., Smith, H. L. & Oughton, C. Regional Innovation Systems: Theory, Empirics
and Policy. Reg. Stud. 45, 875–891 (2011).

10.

Asheim, B. T. & Coenen, L. Knowledge bases and regional innovation systems: Comparing
Nordic clusters. Res. Policy 34, 1173–1190 (2005).

11.

Doloreux, D. What we should know about regional systems of innovation. 24, 243–263
(2002).

Ru ra l Developm en t I n s titu te KNOW LE DGE BRIE F Summ er 2 017

4

12.

Colleges and Institutes Canada. Inclusive Innovation at Colleges and Institutes: Highlights
from the 2015-2016 CICan Applied Research Survey. (2016).

13.

Colleges and Institutes Canada. Applied Research: Partnered Innovation for Businesses
and Communities. (2016).

14.

Isaksen, A. & Karlsen, J. Can small regions construct regional advantages? The case of
four Norwegian regions. Eur. Urban Reg. Stud. 20, 243–257 (2012).

15.

Isaksen, A. Building Regional Innovation Systems: Is Endogenous Industrial Development
Possible in the Global Economy? Can. J. Reg. Sci. 24, 101–120 (2001).

16.

Colleges and Institutes Canada. Cloud Mapping for Forestry Planning. Available at:
https://www.collegesinstitutes.ca/applied-research/cloud-mapping-for-forestryplanning/.

17.

Colleges and Institutes Canada. Raising Fish to Grow Good Gardens. Available at:
https://www.collegesinstitutes.ca/applied-research/raising-fish-to-grow-good-gardens/.

18.

Colleges and Institutes Canada. Mine Life Cycle. Available at:
https://www.collegesinstitutes.ca/applied-research/dr-amelie-janin-industrial-researchchair-for-colleges-in-mine-life-cycle/.

19.

Colleges and Institutes Canada. Franco Chiesa, Industrial Research Chair in Aluminum
Transformation. Available at: https://www.collegesinstitutes.ca/applied-research/francochiesa-industrial-research-chair-in-aluminum-transformation/.

20.

Colleges and Institutes Canada. Tackling the Effects of Climate Change on B.C. Forests.
Available at: https://www.collegesinstitutes.ca/applied-research/tackling-the-effects-ofclimate-change-on-b-c-forests/.

The Columbia Basin Rural Development Institute, at Selkirk College, is a regional
research centre with a mandate to support informed decision-making by
Columbia Basin-Boundary communities through the provision of information,
applied research, and related outreach and extension support.
Visit www.cbrdi.ca for more information.
Ru ra l Developm en t I n s titu te KNOW LE DGE BRIE F Summ er 2 017

5