Annual Conference of the International Place Branding Association

Description

Collaboration between research and practice to advance place branding knowledge

In recent years it has become more common for research collaborations between academics and practitioners. The aim of this panel is therefore to develop a discussion regarding learnings, possibilities, and challenges with research collaborations between academia and practice. The increased interest for this type of collaboration is also visible in research calls where a confirmed collaboration is requested to apply for funding. It is argued that the aim for these collaborations is to address complex issues that cannot be tackled by a single partner on their own (Vangen & Huxham, 2005). These collaborations may take place at any time during the research process and the outcomes are seen as beneficial to both society and research (Bender, 2022). What is important to note is that the collaboration requires active partners where both practitioners and researchers are involved in the research process. Hoekstra et al. (2020) detect a shift in the research paradigm, from one in which the researcher was the sole expert, to researchers and practitioners co-leading research activities and collectively applying their expertise, knowledge, and skills to the research process. A key question is what do we all gain from these collaborations and how does it contribute to advance knowledge in the field of place branding?
In this panel we aim to discuss:
•What is the value for practitioners to collaborate with academia?
•What is the value for academia to collaborate with practitioners?
•What are the possibilities in collaborations?
•What are the challenges?
The discussion is based on the panel's own experiences from participating in collaborative research. The participants represent academia and place branding practitioners on national, regional, and local level in a Swedish context.
The audience is invited to share their thoughts and experiences as part of the session.

Speakers:
Emma Björner, Researcher, Gothenburg Research Institute, University of Gothenburg
Lena Gunnerhed Head of Insight & Knowledge Management, Visit Sweden
Jörgen Eksell, Researcher and lecturer, The Department of Strategic Communication, Lund University
Björn Fransson, Head of Destination Development and Hospitality, Örebrokompaniet
Angelica Gustafsson, Project leader of Tourism Matters Academy, Visit Skåne
Maria Månsson, Researcher and lecturer, The Department of strategic communication, Lund University



References:
Bender, K. (2022) Research–Practice–Collaborations in International Sustainable Development and Knowledge Production: Refections from a Political‑Economic Perspective. The European Journal of Development Research, 34, 1691–1703
Hoekstra, F. et al. (2020). A review of reviews on principles, strategies, outcomes and impacts of research partnerships approaches: a first step in synthesising the research partnership literature. Health Research Policy and Systems, 18, 51. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-020-0544-9
Huxham, C. & Vangen, S. (2005). Managing to Collaborate. The Theory and Practice of Collaborative Advantage. Routledge

Period	2023 Oct 20
Event type	Conference
Conference number	7
Location	Helsingborg, SwedenShow on map