The Community for Educational Innovation (CEI) hosted a webinar on September 24, 2025: “Beyond the Institutional Walls: Partnerships with External Stakeholders.” The webinar explored how higher education institutions (HEIs) collaborate with government, industry, and civil society to translate academic research into societal and economic impact. It examined how partnerships beyond academia can strengthen innovation ecosystems, promote civic engagement, and foster trust between diverse actors.

To learn more about the session, you can access the following resources:

📄 Session Summary
📤 Presentation Slides
📘 Background Note

Three Expert Perspectives

The webinar featured three complementary perspectives on building effective partnerships between academia and external stakeholders:

John Goddard (Emeritus Professor of Regional Development Studies, Newcastle University) introduced the concept of the Civic University, emphasising how HEIs can act as “anchor institutions” that address local needs and contribute to regional development. He called for dismantling boundaries between academic and societal spheres to enable evidence-based collaborations that tackle global and local challenges.

Karolina Anielska (Programme Manager, Smart Docklands, Dublin) presented Smart Docklands, a flagship initiative applying the quadruple helix model—linking academia, government, business, and citizens—to co-create urban innovation. She highlighted projects such as citizen science initiatives, AI upskilling for local authorities, and real-time environmental monitoring, demonstrating how inclusive innovation fosters community trust and ownership.

Amanda Paananen (Innovation Manager, EIT Higher Education Initiative) discussed how HEIs can develop long-term, trust-based partnerships with industry. She stressed the need to move from short-term, project-based collaborations to sustainable, values-driven ecosystems, supported by capacity building, embedded innovation roles, and shared infrastructure that enable ongoing engagement.

Key Takeaways

The discussion underscored that:

• Trust and cultural understanding between academia and industry are crucial for success.
• Collaborative ecosystems, not isolated projects, are needed to sustain innovation.
• Community co-creation should be embedded in HEIs’ strategies to ensure relevance and social impact.

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