The interaction of proximate research universities is a multifaceted and increasingly relevant phenomenon in today's higher education landscape. The three essays herein add to science policy and innovation literature by exploring the challenges, opportunities, and expectations that arise when multiple universities operate in a region. The first essay identifies significant capacity, reputation, and proximity characteristics that increase the likelihood of having an accredited biomedical engineering program. The second essay argues that inter-university curricular collaboration positively affects research quality due to an increase in the number of patent citations tied to joint biomedical engineering programs. The third essay uses qualitative data to explain that the process of research orchestration involves more than simple transaction cost considerations and may lead to inter-university partnerships. Motivating the study of inter-university effects by using the relatively new academic field of biomedical engineering is appropriate due to the dynamic nature of the highly technical, interdisciplinary field, in which accumulated knowledge complements access to physical facilities. This research sheds light on the mechanisms that drive collaborative initiatives, foster competition, and influence the quality of higher education research. It contributes to the ongoing discourse on the evolving nature of higher education and its role in shaping the knowledge-driven societies of the future by offering valuable perspectives for policymakers, institutional leaders, scholars, and all those interested in the complex interactions of universities operating within an ecosystem. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]