University performance in ‘Economic Engagement’ is measured by indicators (11 in total), across a broad range of activities including: co-publications with industrial/ regional partners;  private income sources; patents with industrial partners; publications cited in patents;  number of spin-offs; income from continuing professional development activities; Bachelor and Master graduates working in the region; and student internships in the region.

Looking at how the university landscape fairs in economic engagement and who the top newcomers are, findings show:

• Three Universities receive A-scores on seven, out of a total eleven, indicators
• Newcomers in the top ranks are Lomonosow Moscow State University in Russia and Osaka University in Japan. French Claude Bernard University Lyon, is the single university that repeats its presence in the top ranks.
• At the second best category – with A-scores on six indicators- 14 universities make theire appearance, with France, Italy and Japan represented by more than one institution (Bordeaux and Telekom ParisTech/ Polytechnic Milano and University Pavia/ Keio and Tokyo Medical & Dental University.)

Although those universities in the ranking sample predominantly have the make-up of general comprehensive universities, Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) and of Technology emerge as top performers on a range of indicators. For the first time in this ranking, that tracks aspects of knowledge transfer and regional engagement, high numbers of A-scores are awarded to universities as:  UAS & Arts Western Switzerland, Tech University Hamburg, ETH Zürich, TU Munich and TU Berlin, exhibiting also balanced performance across all dimensions of economic engagement measured in the ranking.

Opposed to research universities, the clear focus of a Technical or Applied university, recognizable by dimensions as forging close ties to the world of business, graduate employability and regional partnering , give these universities a heads start on economical engagement indicators.  What the multidimensional approach of this latest ready-made ranking reconfirms is that there is "no definitive list’’ of the world’s best universities overall or on a single indicator. But rather that excellency is bound to, and reflected in the combination of diverse areas of strength that make up an institutions unique profile.

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