Innovation Hubs in Australian Public Universities: An Appraisal of Their Public Value Claims

The past decade has witnessed an increased presence of innovation hubs in Australian public universities. This has occurred against a backdrop of public universities, as public institutions, being expected to create value for their host nation. However, the types of public value that such hubs are aiming to create is not altogether clear. Using the theoretical prism of a priori public value, this study examines how the innovation hubs of Australian public universities are proposing to create public value. After establishing a working definition of 'innovation hub' in the context of public universities, a thematic analysis of their websites was undertaken to examine how they are positioning themselves with regard to realizing public value. Such an analysis assists with establishing what types of public value they allude to online, and sheds light on how Australian public universities are using innovation hubs to differentiate themselves in an increasingly crowded innovation landscape.