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Starts |
7 October 2026: 09.00 |
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Ends |
8 October 2026: 17.00 |
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Location |
Hotel van der Valk, Eindhoven, Netherlands |
What does it take to build a university that truly transforms its region? That’s the question at the heart of 4GU Week — five days of ideas, connections, and action. Bringing together global university leaders, impact and innovation practitioners, industry, government and ecosystem partners, 4GU week showcases universities that act as orchestrators of regional innovation ecosystems. Join us to advance the 4GU community of practice through peer learning, collaboration, and discussions.
The 4GU Global Forum is the centrepiece of 4GU Week — a two-day gathering of university leaders, innovators, industry partners, and government representatives exploring how universities can lead and orchestrate regional innovation ecosystems.
Hosted at Van der Valk Hotel Eindhoven, the Forum brings participants together in the heart of the Brainport Eindhoven region — one of Europe’s most dynamic and globally recognised innovation ecosystems.
When: 7-8 October 2026
Location: Van der Valk Hotel Eindhoven
Places are limited to keep discussions focused and the networking meaningful.
Agenda
Day 1: Wednesday 7th October 2026
| Time | Session |
| 09:00–10:00 | Arrival & networking |
| 10:00–10:15 | Opening Address – The 4GU Vision in a Changing Global ContextAleks Subic, Chair, 4GU Community Board; Vice-Chancellor and President, Torrens University |
| 10:15–11:15 | Welcome to Brainport Eindhoven: The City, University and Ecosystem Silvia Lenaerts, Rector Magnificus, Eindhoven University of Technology | Rik Thijs, City of Eindhoven | Paul van Nunen, Managing Director, Brainport DevelopmentA welcome to Eindhoven and the Brainport region from the university, city leadership and regional economic agency, reflecting how the partnership between TU/e, the City of Eindhoven and Brainport Development has shaped one of Europe’s leading innovation ecosystems. |
| 11:15–11:45 | Keynote – Innovation Ecosystems and the Future of Competitiveness Keynote speaker Deborah Wince-Smith, President, Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils (USA)Why innovation ecosystems matter to regional and national competitiveness, and how the 4GU model applies globally — connecting university strategy to broader economic and societal transformation. |
| 11:45–12:00 | Coffee break |
| 12:00-12:30 | Government Perspectives – Universities, Regions & the Future of Competitiveness Moderator: Robert-Jan Smits, former President, Eindhoven University of Technology; former Director-General for Research and Innovation, European CommissionA discussion on the role universities play in shaping regional growth, innovation policy and societal resilience — and how cities, governments, industry and universities can work together to build globally competitive, locally embedded innovation ecosystems. |
| 12:30–13:00 | Different Missions, Shared Impact: 4GU in practice across diverse universities Moderator: Chris Day, Vice-Chancellor, Newcastle University; Chair, Universities UK Civic and Local Growth Network Speakers: Janne Laine, Vice President for Innovation, Aalto University| Sally Wheeler, Vice-Chancellor, Birkbeck, University of LondonNo universities look alike, so what does the “4th Generation University” model actually demand of them? This panel puts that question to leaders navigating very different missions and regions, with a close look at where comprehensive universities and arts, humanities, social sciences and creative industries fit in the innovation story — and how the 4GU framework can flex to fit different paths to impact. |
| 13:00–14:30 | Networking lunch |
| 14:30–15:00 | Rethinking 4GU: When Theory Meets Reality Moderator: Max Dumoulin, Chair of the 4GU Concept Working Group Speakers: Marcel Bogers, Professor or Open & Collaborative Innovation, Eindhoven University of Technology| Jane Robinson Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Newcastle University (Business, Partnerships and Place| Edwin van Rest, CEO and co-founder, StudyportalsThree strong voices, three very different stakes in the answer. Bringing together research evidence, institutional strategy and student experience, this session asks where the 4th Generation University model goes from here — including the gaps in when theory is tested in reality, and what it would take to close them. |
| 15:00-15:45 | Workshop Session — 4GU Concept Evolution
Parallel breakout workshops exploring how the 4GU concept evolves |
| 15:45-16:00 | Day 1 Wrap-up
A plenary synthesis of the day’s discussions and workshop takeaways, setting up Day 2. |
| 18:00-21:00 | Networking Reception and Dinner
Transport provided from 17:30 |
8 October
| 09:00–09:30 | Arrival coffee & networking |
| 09:30–10:30 | 4GU in a Global Context Moderator: Dawn Freshwater, Executive Director, Worldwide Universities Network Speakers: Prof. Yike Guo, Provost, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology | Kirk Dombrowski, Vice President for Research and Economic Development, University of Vermont | Neil Hernandez-Gress, Director for Research and Tech Transfer, Technológico de Monterrey| Prof. Hasan Mandal, Rector, Istanbul Technical UniversityA strategic discussion exploring how the 4GU concept translates across different regions and systems — whether the model is inherently European, how ecosystem orchestration and definitions of ‘region’ differ across APAC, North America, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, and the tension between global rankings and regional missions. |
| 10:30–11:00 | Keynote – Building a Thriving Innovation Ecosystem: Lessons from Brainport Eindhoven Senior Leadership, ASML |
| 11:00-11:30 | New Measures for a New Era: Rethinking How We Track Ecosystem Impact Tim Bedford, Vice President, CESAER; Associate Principal, University of Strathclyde | Kaye Husbands Fealing, US National Science FoundationAs universities increasingly operate as anchors of broader innovation ecosystems, what are the measures for what these ecosystems actually deliver? A look at what’s available, what’s emerging and where the gaps are, laying the groundwork for the hands-on workshop that follows, where participants will help shape what comes next. |
| 11:30–11:45 | Coffee break |
| 11:45–12:45 | Workshop — Next Frontier for 4GU Indicators Tina Zdawczyk, Chair of the 4GU Indicators Working Group. Facilitated by Elsevier Research Collaboration Unit team – Andrew Plume, Rachel Herbert, Angela McGuire.An interactive workshop exploring what a next-generation indicator set for university-anchored innovation ecosystems should look like, whose data is needed, and what it would take to make it work across different national and institutional contexts. |
| 12:45-13:00 | Workshop Summary and shareback |
| 13:00-14:30 | Lunch |
| 14:30-15:00 | 4GU in Action: Practical building of an innovation ecosystem Scott Rutherford, Principal Consultant, 4GU Consultancy, ElsevierDrawing on real examples, this session walks through how universities are building out their innovation ecosystems in practice — the choices made, the partners involved, and the lessons learned along the way. |
| 15:15–15:45 | Closing Address – Universities as Catalysts for the Future
A forward-looking reflection on the evolving role of universities in shaping innovation ecosystems, regional competitiveness and societal resilience in an era of global transformation. |
| 15:45-16:00 | Thank you and closing Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor and President, Torrens University |
| 16:00–18:00 | Brainport Tour (Optional) |
Speakers
There is no registration fee to attend the Forum. As the 4GU Community is self-funding, participants are asked to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses.
