D3.1 Strategic Research Priorities Report

Abstract

This report presents an overview of the regional strategic research priorities of RUN-EU partner organisations. The Regional University Network (RUN) is a European University made up of seven Higher Education Institutions from 6 countries and has 75,000 students and 8,000 staff. RUN-EU provides a structured framework for the enhancement of the research and innovation ecosystem with business and society at a regional and inter-regional level across the university alliance. The RUN-EU PLUS project (Professional Research Programmes for Business and Society) focuses primarily on enhancing the development of research and innovation with and for society through the development and deployment of collaborative professional practice-based research degrees across the RUN-EU alliance. An analysis of RUN-EU regional priority domains for research and innovation (R&I) with business and society is presented here, including an overview of the regional research interests and regional priorities that can be leveraged in the creation of RUN-EU Professional Practice-based Research Degrees that will attract the support of business and society. Sustainability, Digitalisation and Social Innovation were selected as the priority research domains by the RUN-EU PLUS project management committee following a review of this report. These priority domains which are relevant to the RUN European University in terms of research and innovation with business and society will drive the formation of collaborative action teams to lead the development of specialist research degree programs, accredited across the RUN European University and integrated into the RUN research institutions and centres. These specialised research programmes will support the impact of the RUN-EU European Innovation Hubs in Future and Sustainable Industries, Bio-economy and Social Innovation in our regional development.