Enhancing development of entrepreneurial strategies at university locations affected by brain drain

This project addresses the challenges faced by peripheral university towns, including brain drain, limited economic opportunities for graduates, and weak connections between universities and local industries. While universities often stimulate local demand and act as employers, they frequently fail to retain graduates or leverage their human capital for regional development. This creates a reliance on redistributive financial mechanisms rather than fostering innovation and growth. The project responds to the need for stronger regional innovation networks, entrepreneurship, and economic vitality in peripheral regions. Many of these locations suffer from structural issues such as bounded firm vision, weak absorption of new ideas, and limited entrepreneurship, which hinder flexibility and innovation. By focusing on the unique challenges and opportunities of university towns, the project seeks to enhance their role in driving economic growth, fostering entrepreneurship, and reducing structural disparities across EU regions.

This project aims to activate the innovation potential of peripheral university towns to foster entrepreneurship, create jobs, and reduce regional disparities. It aligns with the EU's priorities to enhance competitiveness and promote business development for social inclusion. The focus is on addressing challenges such as brain drain, limited local entrepreneurial ecosystems, and insufficient collaboration between firms and universities. The project has three main objectives. First, it conducts a socio-economic classification of peripheral university towns to capture their diversity and identify supportive environments for business success. Second, it develops customizable teaching materials that enhance entrepreneurship by addressing the unique needs of local entrepreneurial ecosystems, empowering students and fostering innovation. Third, it formulates policy recommendations for stakeholders and universities to strengthen entrepreneurial activities and improve the economic impact of universities on their regions. These objectives aim to transform university locations into vibrant innovation hubs by integrating local resources and engaging regional stakeholders.

The project produced a range of significant outputs and results that contribute to addressing the challenges faced by peripheral university towns. Through scientific analysis, the project identified locations characterized by brain drain, providing a foundation for targeted interventions. A comprehensive socio-economic classification of these university locations was developed, leading to the identification of four distinct types: the basic, the emerging, the advanced, and the frontrunners. This classification allowed for a nuanced understanding of the varying needs and opportunities across regions. Customizable teaching materials on entrepreneurship were created, specifically tailored to the unique characteristics of each type of region. These materials, designed for blended learning, include slides and videos and provide flexibility for adaptation to local contexts. To support effective implementation, teaching guidelines were developed for university teachers, students, and course organizers. The project also produced a series of best practice examples featuring local entrepreneurs, available as video content, to inspire and guide learners. Additionally, a curated collection of external resources related to entrepreneurship was made accessible, enriching the educational experience. In the policy domain, an analysis of the status quo of policies impacting university locations was conducted. Based on this analysis, a collection of policy recommendations was designed for stakeholders and universities to foster entrepreneurial activities, improve regional innovation capacity, and address brain drain challenges. To ensure accessibility and sustainability, an online platform https://stopthebraindrain.eu/ was created, bringing together all the project's information, materials, activities, and network opportunities. All project results are openly accessible, including research reports, teaching materials (slides and videos), teaching guidelines, an analysis of policy frameworks and recommendations, and best practice videos featuring local entrepreneurs. Additionally, an interactive quiz on the platform helps users identify their region type, enabling them to customize the teaching materials for a more tailored learning experience.This platform serves as a comprehensive resource for stakeholders, facilitating collaboration, knowledge transfer, and continued development in the field of entrepreneurship and regional innovation..