That's exactly it. We have university centres developing through partnerships with those environments. They might be a coastal environment or a mining environment, for example. Research develops from that and contributes to a whole ecosystem. Research then expands beyond local realities and attracts businesses from other sectors, and that then diversifies a region's economy.
This originates from local concerns and research and then stimulates creativity, which leads to new areas of expertise and excellence in regions that aren't merely major urban centres.