Knowledge and policy: research and knowledge transfer1

Abstract

Knowledge transfer (KT) is the emergent ‘third sector’ of higher education activity—alongside research and teaching. Its commercialization origins are evidenced in its concerns to extract maximum value from research, and in the policy push to make research‐based knowledge trapped in disciplinary silos more responsive to the growing information and knowledge needs of various users. In addition KT maps closely against knowledge economy assumptions as effective KT is believed to provide competitive system advantage. Indeed the promotion and organisation of KT may be a key policy development in aligning higher education more closely with the knowledge economy. KT thus raises a great many issues for researchers in the social sciences: this paper considers some of these issues, drawing on recent research on the implementation of KT in universities in Scotland.