Finland - Jyvaskyla Region - Final Self-Evaluation Report.pdf

and systematic gradually progressing, development of products, services and other business activities(incremental innovations 11 ).The interviews at the University of Jyväskylä revealed that the contradiction and disparity between scientificresearch and applied regionally oriented research might cause some difficulties and that balancing betweenthem is seen as a challenging task in some faculties and departments. The basic scientific research does notserve firms directly and thus, its regional effects are harder to recognize. Moreover, a long tradition ofindependent work and lack of know-how on how to deal and establish a good dialogue with the firms may bedifficult for some university departments. However, the regional engagement dimension has becomeincreasingly linked to the research activities of the University of Jyväskylä. From the regional perspective,one of the most successful operations of the University of Jyväskylä has been the launch of the developmentprogramme in applied natural sciences in 1989 by the Faculty of Mathematics and Science. It mapped out theneeds of regional actors and intensified notably departmental cooperation with companies and researchcentres located in the Jyväskylä region. The networks created during that process are viable even today.According to the results of the internet-questionnaire less than half of the University’s research activitiesseem to be directed to the region of Jyväskylä 12 . In turn, half of the representatives of the polytechnicestimated their regional activities to cover more than 60% of their R&D operations. In 2004, a main part(80%) of the Polytechnic’s ongoing projects was, at least partly, directed to the region of Jyväskylä 13 . TheHEIs in the region of Jyväskylä carry out joint R&D -projects with firms and other regional organizations inwhich the HEIs can provide their special expertise. The forms of cooperation include, for example, researchand development projects, training customized according to the individual needs of clients as well asconsulting. The projects are done directly with firms or in cooperation with intermediate organizations. Theuniversity persons interviewed stress that their basic objective is to participate only in long-term projects inwhich research has an important role. This refers again to the different operational aspects of the universityand polytechnic. The former places more emphasis on the research based projects, whereas the latter prefersthe development-oriented projects. The volume and intensity of university research and polytechnic R&D -activities vary between the faculties and schools. The Jyväskylä Polytechnic’s applied research has asignificant role in the fields of health and social care, engineering and technology, and informationtechnology, whereas the development activities have a special importance in tourism and servicesmanagement. At the University of Jyväskylä the focus of regionally oriented research projects in recent yearshas been on the information and wellness technology, industrial physics and environmental technologyincluding renewable energy. The renewable energy is a good example of how the areas of strength of theHEIs fit with the regional development plans in the field of future energy solutions (Box 4.4). Besides these,both institutions have accomplished projects in the fields of communication and internationalization.11 Typically, the innovations can be divided into two basic types: (1) Radical innovations - something that is based on amarkedly different technology or idea than previous products, and (2) Incremental innovations - something that is basedon only a slightly changed technology or idea than previous products. The latter one, which focuses on cost or featureimprovements in existing processes, products or services (progressing in small steps), is more and more emphasized inHEIs and particularly in the polytechnics.12 Due to the national and international emphasis of the University of Jyväskylä the regional dimension of R&Dactivities has not been registered separately so far.13 Regional distribution of projects of the Jyväskylä Polytechnic in Central Finland (the same projects can have effectson several regions): 104 in the Jyväskylä region, 40 in the Jämsä region, 27 in the Joutsa region, 33 in the Keuruuregion, 43 in the Äänekoski region and 35 in the Saarijärvi-Viitasaari region.52