This electronic working paper is a result of the project "Regional universities and university colleges, their regional impact on innovation, attractiveness and economic performance" commissioned by the Nordic Senior Officials' Committee for Regional Policy, the Nordic Council of Ministers. The overarching question for the case studies presented was to discuss how universities and university colleges can work as an active instrument in regional development policy in the Nordic countries and illustrate how some Nordic higher education institutions collaborate with the surrounding business environments. The case studies cover the Aalborg University in Denmark, the Oulu Southern Institute, Oulu University, in Finland, the School for Renewable Energy Science (RES) in Akureyri, Iceland, the University of Agder in Norway, Jönköping University in Sweden, Dalarna University in Sweden.