Purpose. The article refers to one of the topical management problems - expert forecasting of the prospects for the development of interaction between enterprises and universities in the macroregion (UFD). Methods. Methods of expert interviews were used. The experts were the management of the leading enterprises of the Sverdlovsk region, located in five administrative districts (N = 124). Results and scientific novelty. The materials of the empirical study show possible changes in the role of higher education institutions in the innovative development of the Ural region, the forecast of the types and forms of integrative processes between universities and enterprises for the nearest (3-5 years) and distant (10-15 years) perspective. The conclusions and recommendations on the formation of regional policy obtained during the research can be extended to other industrial regions of the Russian Federation. Scientific novelty. The novelty of the research approach is the analysis of current trends, forms and directions of interaction between universities and regional enterprises, structural differences in the established practices of their cooperation, a critical assessment of the outlook for prospects and the conditions for its effective development.