The article is problem - oriented and is devoted to the modern state and trends of changes of university roles in social and economic development of the region. Economic crisis accompanied by sanctions from Western states worsened the situation of regional economies, in which universities traditionally played a significant role both in terms of personnel training and (particularly in the recent years) innovation development. The problem of university efficacy in interaction with real economy sector has once again become the top priority for higher education development. Within the framework of the RAF grant «Formation of nonlinear Russian higher education model in the region in the context of social and economic uncertainty» the authors conducted expert interviews with heads and teaching and academic staff of the universities, covering the challenges of interaction between universities and enterprises in the region. The results of these interviews demonstrated several gaps and limitations for university efficacy in this sphere caused by inert activities of the universities and contradicting interests of actors of social and economic development of the regions. The articles unveils key difficulties in interaction between universities and companies and suggests ways of overcoming them.