The highly significant The State of University-Business Cooperation in Europe report (2010) was one of the first comprehensive studies of inter-sectorial cooperation in Europe.

At a point in time where the interface between university knowledge and industry innovation was not particularly well understood, this study made a major contribution and catalysed an impact-based research, engagement, education and consulting agenda.

Since the originating report, our team of European researchers, consultants, and engagement specialists have worked with a vast network, from universities to UNESCO, to develop deep insight into:

• how knowledge is produced through complex university-industry-region ecosystems

• the role of innovators and entrepreneurs (including students) in those ecosystems, and

• how this knowledge capital can be captured and harnessed for enhancing the quantum of knowledge extant in society.

This cooperation between government, industry, and universities laid the foundations for research and training in:

• tackling urban challenges

• driving HASS and STEM capabilities for the entrepreneurial university, and

• understanding the ways in which small to medium enterprises (SMEs) may also engage with what has traditionally been a daunting knowledge ecosystem.

To date, we have delivered meaningful teaching and training in areas such as:

• how entrepreneurial academics can deliver impact through research

• how HASS and STEM disciplines can deliver value to regional and national knowledge ecosystems

• how universities can transform to deliver more impactful knowledge transfer and industry-relevant outcomes through research

• how SMEs can engage in higher education-based knowledge for impact, and

• how university staff can assess their engagement readiness for impact.