Universities-industry links and regional development in Japan: Connecting excellence and relevance?

The development of a new research system in Japan throughout the 1990s is seemingly leading to the emergence of new relationships and systems of innovation, in which new university-industry links have been sought as a means to stimulate regional economic growth. This article examines the changing roles of universities against the current policy and institutional landscapes in Japan, given the recent university reforms, the concentration of resources to 'elite' institutions, and the 'regionalisation' of science and innovation policies. The variety of forms of university-industry linkages and spatial relationships that universities are developing are illustrated, and organisational challenges in order to connect excellence and relevance at the institutional level are identified. © 2009 SAGE Publications.