Data Management in Industry–Academia Joint Research: A Perspective of Conflicts and Coordination in Japan

Abstract

This paper aimed to identify and organize issues that emerge due to interinstitutional differences when handling data in industry–academia collaborations. To achieve this, we interviewed personnel affiliated with companies that were conducting joint research with universities. The interviews revealed three main findings. First, issues related to data management can be classified into three types according to the differences in data creation and handling between collaborators. Second, the medical industry handles data using different methods from those employed by other industries. Third, given the expansion of data distribution opportunities, an increasing number of cases in industry–academia joint research cannot be handled under the conventional contract pattern. It is necessary to establish a new scheme for data management in industry-academia collaboration to cope with these issues.