Abstract:

Regional development can be defined as mobilizing and developing the existing potential in cooperation with local actors. Top of local actors are the Regional Development Agency and universities. The Regional Development Agency is an organization established to ensure cooperation between stakeholders to accelerate local development. Together with local actors, they develop and implement projects; they provide financial and technical support for these projects. One of the actors of local development is the universities. A higher education institution is contributing to local development with its universities, graduates and R&D activities. The project is supported by regional development agencies. The aim of the study is to study the cooperation activities of agencies and universities towards local development in the example of Turkey (Izmir). Research is limited to the analysis of the activities of the Izmir Development Agency’s local universities in developing strategies and implementing projects. The subject was studied by the document analysis technique from the quality research methods. As a result of the analysis, it has been found that the İzmir Development Agency has developed strategies in cooperation with universities and supports R&D projects.

Keywords: