Berlin is a creative city attracting talent from around the world. The Berlin Senate has made great strides in developing innovation as a pillar of its economy. But challenges remain: there is long-term unemployment, a low absorptive capacity in small and medium-sized enterprises and a large migrant population that lags behind in educational and labour market outcomes.

How can Berlin’s higher education institutions capitalise on their long tradition of professionally relevant learning and research to transform social, economic and environmental challenges into assets and opportunities? What incentives are needed to improve higher education institutions´ regional and local orientation?

This publication explores a range of helpful policy measures and institutional reforms to mobilise higher education for Berlin’s development. It is part of the series of the OECD reviews of Higher Education in Regional and City Development. These reviews help mobilise higher education institutions for economic, social and cultural development of cities and regions. They analyse how the higher education system impacts upon regional and local development and bring together universities, other higher education institutions and public and private agencies to identify strategic goals and to work towards them.