How to Make Industry Collaborations Work For Universities

In the popular post Busting five myths of university-industry collaboration the key points are that collaborations work when the research addresses a particular need in industry and there is effective communication between all stakeholders.

To address the needs of national economic development, university-industry collaborations are vital. According to research carried out by Science|Business Innovation Board AISBL, a Belgian not-for-profit scientific association, these collaborations need to move from specific projects to strategic relationships. But how do you make a shift from project focused to strategic focus?

Here are nine key learning points suggested in the report, to help your institution achieve this shift:

University leadership is vitalBuilt-in flexibility works best in long-term strategic partnershipDevelop the strategy based on a shared visionChoose leaders who cross cultural boundaries between academia and industryFacilitate dialogue and cross-fertilisation of ideasDo not get too focused on intellectual propertyPromote a multidisciplinary approach to research and learning.Don’t focus on metrics as an outcome of a successful partnership.Redefine the role of the research university as a source of competence and problem-solving for society.

to download the full report which includes case studies on successful collaborations.

Original post by Diana Hayes, from GlobalAcademyJobs.com can be seen here:

http://blog.globalacademyjobs.com/making-university-industry-collaborations-work/