Initial results from Czech-Bavarian pilot project presented at the RSA Regional Futures Conference in London.

On November 13 and 14, 2025, Karin Haslböck and Johanna Trager from the Czech-Bavarian pilot participated in the RSA Regional Futures Conference in London.

In the session “Universities and Skills as Drivers of Regional Change”, Karin Haslböck presented their work on the regional effectiveness of peripheral, rural research locations. Their research follows a four-part methodological approach that examines how the research sites contribute to the regional economy, enhance regional attractiveness, and strengthen their overall regional presence.

The preliminary results show that the regional impacts of these research locations are difficult to capture by solely assessing hard indicators such as publication numbers, project funding, or staff size.

Soft factors also play a crucial role – for example, visibility in local newspapers, engagement in the surrounding community, and cooperation with schools. One key finding highlights a tension between the prevalence of temporary, project-based employment in research – the main mode of funding in a lot of research locations – and researchers’ willingness to relocate to the region or invest in the long-term development of the research site.

The conference offered an excellent opportunity to discuss the research in its early stages and to integrate valuable feedback from the audience.