Orchestrating Regional Innovation Ecosystems

Regional innovation ecosystems are becoming increasingly complex, interconnected, and place-based. Universities are no longer expected to act only as knowledge producers—they are increasingly positioned as orchestrators, conveners, anchor institutions, and system builders within their regions.

This masterclass explores how universities can actively shape and coordinate regional innovation ecosystems through strategic engagement, partnership orchestration, and ecosystem leadership. Using a practical “6 Ecosystem Types” framework, participants will examine different regional innovation configurations, understand the distinctive role universities play within each ecosystem, and identify how institutions can leverage their unique strengths to enable more effective collaboration and regional impact.

Through international case studies, ecosystem mapping, and applied reflection exercises, participants will analyse how universities can move from participating in ecosystems to intentionally orchestrating them—aligning stakeholders, building trust, mobilising assets, and strengthening innovation capacity across regions.

This masterclass is designed for:

• Professional staff working in innovation, research partnerships, regional engagement, entrepreneurship, economic development, or knowledge exchange.
• University leaders and managers responsible for external engagement strategy and ecosystem development.
• Academic staff involved in collaborative research, entrepreneurship, living labs, or regional initiatives.
• Policymakers, innovation agencies, and regional development organisations working with universities.
• Ecosystem intermediaries, incubators, clusters, and industry associations seeking stronger university collaboration.

In this masterclass, participants will:

1. Understand the evolving role of universities within regional innovation ecosystems.
2. Explore six different types of ecosystems and identify the characteristics of different regional innovation environments.
3. Analyse how universities can adapt their engagement strategies depending on ecosystem maturity, structure, and regional context.
4. Identify the capabilities, governance approaches, and partnership mechanisms required for effective ecosystem orchestration.
5. Learn from international case studies of universities acting as ecosystem conveners, brokers, and innovation anchors.

Dr. Balzhan Orazbayeva, Director of Research and Training at UIIN

Balzhan works to unlock the impact of universities in society and to strengthen how universities and companies collaborate to drive that impact. As Director of Research & Training at UIIN, she leads the strategic direction of the organisation’s research and training portfolio, using it as a foundation for broader services and engagement with both higher education institutions and industry partners. She also leads key initiatives, including UIIN’s Pathway to Impact Institutional Programme and the UIIN Business Group, bringing universities and companies together to co-create solutions for meaningful impact.

A/Prof. Dr. Todd Davey, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at the IMT-BS, Associate Partner at UIIN

Todd has consulted to the European, Australian, and Vietnamese Governments, and to multiple universities. Todd is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at the IMT Business School in Paris and a visiting researcher at Imperial College (UK), Technical University of Vienna (AUT) and the University of Adelaide (AUST) in the topics of entrepreneurship and innovation.

UIIN Masterclasses are live, interactive workshops designed to provide in-depth learning on key topics related to university-industry collaboration. Led by experts, these sessions combine guided discussions, hands-on exercises, and peer learning to help participants develop practical strategies and skills.