Regional synergies in Triple Helix regions: the case of local economic development policies in Oxfordshire, UK

This paper examines the role of universities in delivering regional/local policy and the extent to which they help formulate that policy. It explores the incentives for universities to act. Two examples are the availability of government funding designed to foster university–industry interaction and the existence of specific local agenda that are of mutual interest to both universities and local policy makers. The paper also highlights the converse – policy might follow from the observed actions of the impact of universities' excellence (for example, the formation of university spin-offs). The authors consider how both translate into active involvement in local policy making using the case of the Oxfordshire high-tech economy. Oxfordshire is an important high-tech economy dominated by one of the world's leading research universities