In a discourse-analytical and governmental perspective, the paper analyzes “leading and being led” in the field of innovation-learning and multi-stakeholder-participation. Following the self-concept of Europen Union as “Innovation Union”, multi-stakeholder strategies for innovation increasingly become the mode of knowledge creation (Etzkowitz, and Leydesdorff 1997; (Nowotny et al. 2014). As the common research agenda “Horizon 2020” shows, research and innovation programmes of European Union are set to promote innovation capacity in different fields like industrial leadership, societal challenges and science (https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020). Academia and science is asked to provide research for innovation and to develop competencies for innovation capacity in new teaching designs and formats (Weber 2014). Open innovation hubs or innovation labs between higher education institutions and local stakeholders establish the mode of cross sector innovation involving politicians, entrepreneurs and civil society. This gives raise to the question of the role of higher education institutions, responsible research, and to the one of who is leading whom, and where to, within multi-stakeholder settings.

The first question as to the role of higher education is addressed by Nowotny, Scott and Gibbons. In their so called “Mode 2”, they proclaim that knowledge creation is project based and produced in multi-disciplinary settings (Nowotny et al. 2014). Aspects of responsible research and sustainability have been examined by Käufer and Scharmer in their “Entrepreneurial University” approach (Käufer, and Scharmer 2000).

The second question of “leading to”, involves two levels. The first level can be described as a vertical relation between European strategies and local governance and the second one as a horizontal relation between different participants within the multi-stakeholder setting. This paper examines the role of leading in local multi-stakeholder settings as contexts of knowledge and power.

The nature of multi-stakeholder settings as formats of knowledge creation and production can be explained by the Foucauldian perspective on governmentality that connects the act of leading to power and knowledge (Foucault 2012). The concept of “governmentality” widens our understanding of power to include forms of control, institutions, and knowledge and as well combines techniques of governing with subjectivity (Lemke, Krasmann, and Bröckling 2012: 8). Therefore multi-stakeholder settings are arranged by social practices and embedded in policies, polities and politics. These assumptions form the basis for research on the role of higher education within multi professional contexts for innovation.

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