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Developing Boundary-Spanning Capacity for Regional Sustainability Transitions—A Comparative Case Study of the Universities of Augsburg (Germany) and Linz (Austria)

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  • Gesa Pflitsch

    (Department of Geography, Philipps-University, 35032 Marburg, Germany)

  • Verena Radinger-Peer

    (Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Institute for Sustainable Economic Development, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1180 Vienna, Austria)

Abstract

The potential of universities to become ‘change agents’ for sustainability has increasingly been highlighted in the literature. Some largely open questions are how universities get involved in regional sustainability transitions and how that affects their role in these processes. This paper argues that universities need to develop a boundary-spanning capacity, which enables them to transcend disciplinary as well as sectoral boundaries in order to adopt a developmental role in regional sustainability transitions. It is investigated how universities develop this capacity within a particular regional context, using the method of a transition topology. Comparing how the relationships of universities with their surrounding regions developed in Augsburg (Germany) and Linz (Austria), the paper shows why these processes are place-specific. A university’s boundary-spanning capacity develops over time and differs according to the actors involved. The primarily bottom-up driven process in Augsburg was thematically quite broad and involved diverse actors. In Linz, the top-down initiated process was fragmented and more narrowly focused. Individual value-driven actors that made use of their personal networks played an important role in both regions.

Suggested Citation

  • Gesa Pflitsch & Verena Radinger-Peer, 2018. "Developing Boundary-Spanning Capacity for Regional Sustainability Transitions—A Comparative Case Study of the Universities of Augsburg (Germany) and Linz (Austria)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-26, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:4:p:918-:d:137512
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    Cited by:

    1. Strambach, Simone & Pflitsch, Gesa, 2020. "Transition topology: Capturing institutional dynamics in regional development paths to sustainability," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(7).
    2. Hendrik Hansmeier, 2021. "Geography of eco-innovations vis-à-vis geography of sustainability transitions: Two sides of the same coin?," GEIST - Geography of Innovation and Sustainability Transitions 2021(07), GEIST Working Paper Series.
    3. Lisa Bohunovsky & Verena Radinger-Peer & Marianne Penker, 2020. "Alliances of Change Pushing Organizational Transformation Towards Sustainability across 13 Universities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-20, April.
    4. Andrea Cuesta‐Claros & Shirin Malekpour & Rob Raven & Tahl Kestin, 2022. "Understanding the roles of universities for sustainable development transformations: A framing analysis of university models," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(4), pages 525-538, August.
    5. Anna Bogedain & Rüdiger Hamm, 2020. "Strengthening local economy – an example of higher education institutions’ engagement in “co-creation for sustainability”," REGION, European Regional Science Association, vol. 7, pages 9-27.
    6. Jorge Espinoza-Molina & Alberto Paucar-Cáceres & Maria del Carmen Silva-Cornejo & Silvia Quispe-Prieto & Karina Acosta-Caipa & Esther Chambe-Vega & Erbert Osco-Mamani & Franklin Cordova-Buiza & Toni B, 2022. "Enabling Risk Management and Adaptation to Climate Change through a Network of Peruvian Universities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-16, December.
    7. Verena Radinger-Peer & Gesa Pflitsch & Helga Kanning & Daniel Schiller, 2021. "Establishing the Regional Sustainable Developmental Role of Universities—From the Multilevel-Perspective (MLP) and Beyond," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-21, June.
    8. Diana Velasco & Alejandra Boni & Carlos Delgado & Geisler Dayani Rojas-Forero, 2021. "Exploring the Role of a Colombian University to Promote Just Transitions. An Analysis from the Human Development and the Regional Transition Pathways to Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-24, May.
    9. Katariina Koistinen & Satu Teerikangas, 2021. "The Debate If Agents Matter vs. the System Matters in Sustainability Transitions—A Review of the Literature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-32, March.
    10. Friedrich, Christoph & Feser, Daniel, 2021. "Combining knowledge bases for system innovation in regions: Insights from an East German case study," University of Göttingen Working Papers in Economics 430, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.

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