‘Value-in’ partnership: Common ground and difference in university knowledge transfer policy and research

Abstract

This study is set in the context of growing evidence of a frustrated UK policy aim for a fully fledged university third stream and particular issues of stakeholder engagement, management, measurement and resource allocation. Whilst university knowledge transfer is framed by a discourse of mixed metaphors, this research demonstrates the conceptual and practical value of the partnership metaphor, and associated concepts of common ground and difference between partners. This exploratory study identifies shared and different conceptions of academic and associate partners engaged in the UK policy mechanism of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs). Importantly it identifies that common and different conceptions of partners offer valuable insights for issues of engagement, management, measurement and resource allocation in third-stream policy. Conclusions suggest to researchers and policy-makers not just that common ground and difference inherent in the concept of partnership should be recognized and managed, but rather that these dimensions should be regarded as valuable sources of knowledge in the KTP process itself: there is value in partnership.