Enhancing the impact of Ireland's higher education institutions

This chapter expands on the findings presented in with a focus on the impact of higher education and the possible results of a greater emphasis on entrepreneurship and innovation. There are significant opportunities for HEIs to have positive impacts on their local economies, not only directly but in a wide range of indirect ways, both on the supply and demand side. However, as discussed in this chapter, there are also a range of tensions that need to be understood and carefully managed by the HEIs themselves, their local partners and national policy makers if impacts are to be effectively delivered.