On 24 June, EURASHE brought together key voices from the EU policy and innovation landscape for its annual Summer Symposium and Cocktail, hosted by Odisee University of Applied Sciences at its centrally located Brussels campus. The event explored how Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) can drive regional innovation and competitiveness through a place-based approach.
The symposium, titled “UAS at the centre of a new place-based agenda for European competitiveness and cohesion?”, opened with welcoming remarks by Ann Verreth, Director of Odisee UAS, followed by a thought-provoking introduction from EURASHE President Hannes Raffaseder.
A dynamic panel featured leading voices from EURASHE’s partner institutions, including representatives from the European Commission and the European Regions Research and Innovation Network (ERRIN). Together, they tackled questions central to Europe’s innovation divide—such as why regional innovation performance varies, how Smart Specialisation strategies have evolved, and whether current cohesion policies are sufficient to support lagging regions.
Nicola Francesco Dotti of DG Research and Innovation highlighted challenges to implementing a true fifth freedom for knowledge across the EU. Eva Nussmueller (DG REGIO) and Stefan Zotti (DG EAC) reflected on the critical role of education, especially UAS, in training and retaining talent at regional level. ERRIN’s Astrid Hannes underlined the need for better EU support mechanisms.
The symposium closed with a collective reflection: what one wish do policymakers have for UAS in regional development? The message was clear—UAS are uniquely positioned to bridge innovation gaps and anchor Europe’s place-based future. Participants then enjoyed an informal evening reception with locally-brewed beer.
Below are a few pictures of the Symposium. The full album can be accessed here.
