Strengthening the Role of Universities in Deep-Tech Ecosystems: Evidence from Emerging Regions

This white paper presents the results of an ecosystem analysis conducted within the Scale2Connect project, focusing on strengthening the role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in emerging deep-tech innovation ecosystems. Covering regions in Portugal, Spain, and the Dominican Republic, the study combines ecosystem mapping and stakeholder engagement to identify key challenges and opportunities. The findings highlight fragmented collaboration between academia and industry, limited support for deep-tech entrepreneurship, and underutilised potential of HEIs in driving innovation. At the same time, they reveal strong opportunities to enhance knowledge transfer, entrepreneurial capacity, and cross-sector partnerships. Building on these insights, the paper adopts an ecosystem-based approach to innovation, emphasising the strategic role of universities as connectors within regional ecosystems. The results provide evidence-based guidance for strengthening deep-tech innovation environments in emerging regions.