Abstract This study examines the link between knowledge-intensive services (KIS) firms and higher education systems (HESs) across 24 EU countries. Using a novel dataset retrieved from Eurostat, ETER, Incites, and PATSTAT, our analysis proposes a new methodological approach in investigating the relationship between local HESs and the presence of KIS firms in EU NUTS-2 regions. We find that university spillovers—human capital, research, and third mission activities—enhance the number of KIS firms in a region, with larger and higher-quality institutions exerting a more significant effect. Furthermore, our findings highlight a positive correlation between the area of specialisation of universities and the industrial specialisation of a region. However, this result varies significantly across different KIS sectors, indicating the diverse nature of knowledge-intensive services. The findings may help policymakers understand the mechanisms attracting KIS firms and foster regional specialisation based on local knowledge.
Bertoletti et al. (2026) studied this question.