RUnUP project: Local Strategies for Talent Attraction and Retention

Cities are widely recognised as playing a fundamental role in the promotion of the knowledge economy but most research and policy has focussed on large cities with Worldclass educational and research institutes and advanced clusters of economic activity. There are clear and significant gaps in the knowledge of how smaller sized cities, with different levels and types of knowledge institutions and different levels of economic activity can compete within the Knowledge Economy. Yet such cities are recognised within European Union policy as playing a vital role in the implementation of the Lisbon agenda.

RUnUP URBACT project addresses in a uniquely different way the fundamental issues of how universities should engage with their local communities with a particular focus on medium-sized cities; the role of local authorities and municipalities and the importance of triple helix structures for supporting economic development and encouraging entrepreneurship.

Talent attraction and retention is a multi-dimensional subject including the issues of transport, housing, health services, education and training, salary levels, career opportunities and lifestyle which impact on individuals in cities in differing ways. The third RUnUP thematic event provided some unique insights into this subject from the partners of the project.

Read the seminar report written by Clive Winters, RUnUP Lead Expert. The paper provides an interesting panorama of how a series of medium sized cities like Gateshead (UK), Solna (Sweden), Barakaldo and other Basque municipalities (Spain) are adapting their long term strategies to attract both the firms and talented people they will need in the future.

Read more:

• Download TNE_Barakaldo_LE_Report.pdf (1.06 MB) - PDF
• RUnUP - URBACT website
• Innovation and Creativity - URBACT website