Rethinking the Role of Universities in the Development of Clusters

The purpose of the study is to examine the roles of universities in the development of the regional economy, namely in the formation of clusters, as well as to analyze the changes in these roles depending on various reasons. The authors used the methods of induction, analysis, synthesis, comparison, and document analysis. The study is based on the triple helix model, which assumes the interaction of the university, industry and public authorities. The conceptual framework has been applied to the analysis of the activities of one of the Russian universities. The final section presents factors explaining the transformation of the role played by higher education institutions in regional development. The results of the study show the conditions on which university participation in the development of regional clusters depends and how it can provide a basis for the sustainable functioning of the universities themselves.