Marina Brunner

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Europe make major contributions to their hometowns, metropolitan areas and regions. But how important are they exactly? And how can they improve their collaboration with business enterprises and contribute to regional innovation systems? These are highly relevant questions in this time where HEIs are often seen as core contributors to educated societies and resilient economies, yet nobody seems to have any convincing answers. Addressing this knowledge gap, through the establishment of a new competence framework for HEIs, specifically Professional Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs), is the main aim of this article.