Reports & Statements
Universities in innovation ecosystems and the role of the European Universities alliances
This report explores universities’ embeddedness in innovation ecosystems (specifically through research collaboration and equipping students with entrepreneurial skills) using data from the European Higher Education Sector Observatory (EHESO) and the European Higher Education Sector Scoreboard (EHESS).
The findings highlight that university-industry collaboration is a cornerstone of vibrant innovation ecosystems, which in turn serve as the foundational units of effective national innovation systems. Countries that have stronger institutional-level university-industry collaboration, also show better student outcomes, such as completed internships. Universities in European Universities alliances (EUA) outperform their peers in three specific areas: participation in EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, co-publishing with industry partners, and Erasmus+ traineeships for doctoral students.
This document is published by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA, Platforms, Studies and Analysis).
European Commission: European Education and Culture Executive Agency, Popovaite, I., Colus, F. and Kaiser, K., Universities in innovation ecosystems and the role of the European Universities alliances, Publications Office of the European Union, 2026, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2797/7704665