Kongsberg - a regional innovation system : a study of BUC and its relationship to the Kongsberg industry

Abstract

This thesis examines where the Buskerud University College in Kongsberg is situated in relation to the third mission of academic entrepreneurship, which is a concept of the Triple Helix innovation model. Further, it elaborates to what extend NCE, a regional innovation policy, contributes in developing BUC into such an academic entrepreneur. The aim of this thesis is to show that the Triple Helix innovation model, compared to RIS, takes the university s role as an innovator more into consideration. The analysis shows that even though BUC has reached the first stage within academic entrepreneurship, much due to the help of NCE`s knowledge development project, the university college is still only indirectly contributing to innovation by creating human capital . BUC therefore still resembles a RIS innovation model where the industry takes the leading role within innovation. However, by being more aware of the local industry s demands towards BUC and responding to them, this thesis assumes that in future, the university college will be able to play a bigger role in strengthening regional innovation and therefore reach higher stages of academic entrepreneurship.

Key words: Triple Helix, RIS, BUC, entrepreneurial university, norms of the academic entrepreneur, commercialization