The regions success in post-industrial society, that the socio-economic development is strongly associated with factors of competitiveness, based on knowledge, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, requires us to look at the role that the current network HEIs have been to play for the integral development of the Portuguese territory. In specific in the cities of "medium-sized" placed in areas of relatively low-density or peripheral to the tendency to go to littoral cities of the country.

Over the last years, has been consolidated a network of Polytechnics in the main “medium-sized cities” in Portugal, leading development supported by innovation, knowledge transfer to the specificities of the territory and its traditional activities (e.g. agriculture, textiles), enhancing the establishment of young professionals and business creation. Not least, the fact that these institutions contribute to the preservation of local culture and simultaneously stimulate new ambitions for the positioning of regions in the global context, where new examples based on creativity, innovation and knowledge appear linked to the experience of the city or in promotion of "new industries" (creative cities / creative industries).

Each Institution of Higher Education Polytechnic, according to its strategic plan and the many regional realities, has a portfolio of initiatives and relationships with the surrounding community to be known as a way to assess its potential for the regional development and promotion dynamics helpful to the economic challenges that is facing the country. Consequently, Polytechnics Institutes present at this seminar were invited to submit examples of their relations with the surrounding community or initiatives with potential for regional socio-economic development.