By Mike Alvarez Cohen

Abstract Universities have been increasingly viewed as catalysts for regional economic vitality—especially related to innovation, entrepreneurship and startups. Accordingly, many universities have been increasingly trying to establish robust innovation ecosystems that drive local economic development (which in turn, bolster university research and education programs). This paper describes an analysis, framework and strategies for developing robust university innovation ecosystems (UIEs). The paper’s analysis reveals the following somewhat non-intuitive or slightly controversial observations that are leveraged in developing ecosystem strategies: