New regional knowledge arrangements facilitating regional learning

Abstract

Knowledge production and utilization should be better tuned to sustainable regional development practices. Generally three basic problems are indentified: 1) a lack of interaction between different modes of knowledge production and utilization (such as scientific research and learning by doing) and consequently a lack of interactive learning among its practitioners; 2) regional questions are not properly articulated in (national) research and education programs and 3) scientific knowledge production is often highly reductionist and produces specific expertise, while its utilization in regional development practices asks for integration. To enlarge the impact of research and education on regional learning and regional development they need better anchoring in regional development practices and be more structurally involved in (facilitating) joint regional learning, including citizens, entrepreneurs, authorities, policy-makers but researchers, teachers and students as well. In the Netherlands new regional knowledge arrangements (KA’s) are being developed and experimented within different regions 1 that deal with this. Some promising newly developed regional KA’s were evaluated by means of mutual visits by key-actors and as part of interactive or action learning. The paper presents an overview and analysis of these newly emerging regional KA’s and presents the lessons learned of the joint tour and interactive learning. As a result these emerging regional KA’s are now seen as promising cornerstones of a knowledge-infrastructure better tuned to regional development practices. At various levels, provincial, national and EU, there are subsidies available for activities in regional development, each with their own criteria and mechanics. However, this availability does not guarantee that the funds are being used where they are needed most. Much depends on the infrastructure through which people with initiatives find their way to these resources, and how they mobilize their networks of stakeholders and knowledge workers who will jointly work on important issues. While reporting about the study tour in search of ways to reinforce this kind of arrangements, it appears necessary to redefine certain concepts and roles in knowledge processes, for analysis of the observations and for drawing conclusions for the next steps to take. Sustainable development requires interaction between stakeholders and knowledge workers

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