Areas of responsibility
Professor James Karlsen is head of Department of working life and innovation at University of Agder (UiA). He was appointed as a Professor at UiA in 2018. In 2013, he started to work as an Associate Professor in University of Agder. Karlsen holds a PhD in Industrial Management from Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim and a master in Economic Geography from University of Oslo. Karlsen has since 2009 had an associate senior researcher position at Orkestra, Basque Institute of Competitiveness, Spain. Before Karlsen started to work at University of Agder he was working for about 15 years in Agderforskning, Norway. He has also worked in Finnmark County administration with industrial development and with regional development planning. He has also worked in Ministry of Fisheries and Ministry of Local Government.
Karlsen’s research interests include industrial development and regional innovation, action research for territorial development and higher education institutions and regional development. He has participated in several international research projects. Karlsen has published one international book (Territorial Development and Action Research) and has numerous publications in international journals such as Regional Studies, Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Industry & Innovation and Environment and Planning C, Higher Education Policy, European Journal of Education. He has served as a referee for several academic journals.
Research
Academic interests
Karlsen has published articles in prestigious journals such as Regional Studies, European Planning Studies, Environmental and Planning C and European Urban and Regional Studies. Together with dr. Miren Larrea from Orkestra he has written a book in the intersection of action research and territorial development. The title of the book is Territorial development and Action Research. Innovation through Dialogue.The book is also publised in Spanish with the title Desarrollo territorial e investigación acción: Innovación a través del diálogo. He has also published many book chapters.
His research interest is regional development. He has focused on industrial development, higher education institutions role for innovation and regional development, policy learning and action research for territorial development. One part of the research is based on theoretically informed case study with the aim of developing concepts and a better understanding of the complexity of regional development. Another part of the research is based on action research as a strategy for regional development and change. As an action researcher, he is working together with practitioners in real-life change processes.
Tuition
Karlsen teaches the following course at University of Agder:
- ORG 503 Innovation in the public sector