University-industry Relationships Research Articles

Truth for Its Own Sake: Academic Culture and Technology Transfer at Johns Hopkins University

American research universities have long been a source of technical advance for industry, yet few have written on the history of university-industry relationships. This essay examines the evolution of practices and policies at Johns Hopkins University, which was established in 1876 as the first research university in the United States. Although an academic vision shaped its founding culture, the interests of technology transfer increasingly shape that culture. This essay considers the tensions between academic research and commercial orientation and the process of changing university orientation and culture.

Inside the triple helix: technology transfer and commercialization in the life sciences.

The transfer and subsequent application of academic research results has demonstrable benefits for health care, researchers, universities, companies, and local economies. Nonetheless, at least three general concerns exist: bias in the reporting of results, limited revenues from these activities, and the lack of data to evaluate technology transfer activities. Future efforts with regard to technology transfer in the life sciences will need to recognize its importance without ignoring concerns or overestimating benefits. Next steps include better monitoring of university-industry relationships, the development of a better data system, the dissemination of best practices in technology transfer management, and evaluation of national technology-transfer policies.

Firm Size and Openness: The Driving Forces of University-Industry Collaboration

A large number of works have studied university-industry relationships either from a qualitative point of view or relying on a case study of a single university. The aim of this paper is to provide some statistical evidence at the cross-country, cross-industry level to verify some of the hypotheses put forward in the qualitative literature. On the basis of the results of the KNOW survey carried out in seven EU countries in 2000, we examine two main issues. First, the contribution made by Public Research Organisations (PROs) to the innovative process of firms is analysed. Second, the existence and the extent of co-operative R&D projects between firms and PROs are examined. A two-equation econometric model evaluates the effect of firm-specific, sector-specific and country-specific factors (such as firm size, appropriation and signalling, searching of knowledge sources, government support) upon the propensity for and the extent of collaborations between PROs and firms. The analysis in this paper provides some preliminary evidence which allows a better understanding of the firm and industry characteristics that affect the contribution of PROs to firms' innovative activities and to their involvement in R&D collaborations with firms. The estimations produce some evidence to highlight how the size of the firm and its openness to the external environment have a significant and important effect on both the extent of and propensity of PRO-firm collaboration.

Technology Transfer Via Industry-University Relationship: The Case of the Foreign High Technology Electronics Industry in Mexico's Silicon Valley (review)

Technology Transfer Via Industry-University Relationship: The Case of the Foreign High Technology Electronics Industry in Mexico's Silicon Valley (review)

Bridging the Gap between Firms and Academic Institutions

In university-industry relationships, ‘translators’ facilitate communication among individuals, institutions, business organizations and groups. However, systematic study of the functions and characteristics of these translators has been scant. Drawing on interviews with participants in knowledge networks, this paper argues that ‘translation’ contributes to the integration of academic knowledge with economic development by reconciling different cognitive orientations, cultures, disciplines, codes and interests. The paper also identifies the personal and professional characteristics that enable some individuals to act as ‘bridges’ between academia and industry. Finally, the authors analyse the relationship between trust and translation, and discuss the pros and cons of creating a position explicitly devoted to performing translation functions.

The firm's trust in its university partner as a key mediator in advancing knowledge and new technologies

Although industry-university relationships (I/URs) are of growing importance for creating knowledge and new technologies, I/URs remain relatively understudied. We build a theoretical framework that examines communication frequency, a facet of communication effectiveness, the personalness of the communication form (i.e., face-to-face, telephone, e-mail, and written), the firm's trust in its university partner, and the I/UR's knowledge and new technology outcomes. Our theoretical framework is tested using primarily survey questionnaire data collected from senior managers in 189 industrial firms across 21 university research centers. While previous research demonstrates the important connection between the way partners communicate and various collaborative venture outcomes, our results suggest that trust is an important mediator between communication and knowledge and technological outcomes in I/URs. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for both research and practice.

The law and the physician as principal investigator in sponsored clinical trials.

The P.I. has ethical duties to the clinical trial subject as well as legal responsibilities to both the clinical trial subject and to the sponsor of the clinical trial. The P.I. is legally obligated to both the subject and (contractually) to the sponsor to obtain informed consent. There may be a legal duty to the subject to disclose information during the clinical trial which the sponsor’s contract requires be kept confidential. The P.I. can be responsible for damages suffered by the subject. The P.I. can also be responsible for damages if he or she breaches the contract of the sponsor. These damages could be considerable. It is important that before signing a contract P.I.s know what their legal obligations are to the sponsor and be satisfied they can honour them without breaching their ethical and legal responsibilities to the subject. Lewiset al. put it well when they said in the context of rules for governing the university-industry relationship: “Some bargains are Faustian, and some horses are Trojan. Dance carefully with the porcupine, and know in advance the price of intimacy.”14 By all means, dance with the porcupine, but read and understand the contract first.

Mission impossible? Institutional barriers to the diffusion of the "third academic mission" at German universities

The intensification of university-industry relations and the role universities play in a knowledge society are widely discussed. Some even argue that economic development through technology transfer has become a ‘third academic mission’ on a par with universities' traditional missions of teaching and research. Institutional barriers to the diffusion of that mission, however, are largely ignored. With the aid of some conceptual and theoretical tools from research in organisational analysis the paper focuses on these barriers. Empirical evidence is drawn from a study on technology transfer offices at German universities.

University‐Industry Relationships in Dentistry: Past, Present, Future

O ver the years, academic institutions, including dental schools, have become increasingly interested and involved in developing interactions with industry. The nature of such interactions has been evolving over many years, and there is a clear contrast between attitudes prevalent at the time I first entered dental school in the mid-1960s and the present. In the “early days,” dental academicians were, for the most part, disdainful of working with industry. One sensed that there was an implicit belief that dollars provided by industry were printed somewhere in the netherworld and, therefore, tainted, whereas dollars provided by other sources, including the government, followed a more pristine route from the heavens directly to academic institutions. Clearly, opinions have changed dramatically in the interim, and today it is rather common for academic institutions and industry to interact in a variety of ways. In this paper, I will first present an overview of the evolution of academic-industry partnerships in dentistry and their value to each of the partners; then discuss details to be considered by investigators seeking to work with industry; and, finally, review some of the issues and dilemmas that can arise from academic-industry interactions. I should note at the outset that much of this paper is based on my own experience and perceptions and that others in the field may have different viewpoints.

Universities and industrial transformation: an interpretative and selective literature study with special emphasis on Sweden

This paper makes a selective and interpretative review of the literature on university-industry relations, to identify questions for further research. The ‘bare bones’ of an analytical framework for approaching university-industry relations are provided, by conceptualising the role of universities in the innovation and diffusion process as one of the providers of a range of functions in an innovation system. We address three themes with a strong bearing on science and educational policy, focusing on Sweden: how to measure the size and performance of academic research; how to assess the value of academic RD and how to improve the value of the academic sector where we deal with the issue of ‘responsiveness’. We conclude by specifying a set of questions that need further research. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.

Medical innovation and institutional interdependence. Rethinking university-industry connections.Gelijns AC, Thier SO. JAMA 2002;287:72–77.

There is obvious social value in medical innovation that promotes long-term health and improves quality of care. University-industry research collaborations have been key to a continued high degree of technological innovation in medicine. Recently, however, critical questions have been posed about the potential negative aspects of highly productive means of encouraging innovation. Concerns center on blurring roles between academic research and the commercial world and the implications of universities’ newfound readiness to benefit financially from their intellectual property. The roles of both parties are often inadequately captured by considering members of university faculties as single-mindedly devoted to the advancement of fundamental knowledge and industrial firms as mere developers of university research. Rather, medical innovation depends on extensive interactions between universities and industry, with knowledge and technology transfer flowing in both directions. These interactions have had important public health and economic benefits. Yet, there is a risk to the university-industry relationship if the cultural and ethical principles of one partner overwhelm those of the other. Therefore, universities and industry need to maximize the upsides of collaboration and minimize the downsides by means of internal organizational change as well as formation of new models of collaboration, such as intellectual partnerships or virtual research organizations. This article reviews the numerous institutional patterns of innovation and draws implications for organizational and public policies.—Nancy J. Newman

The “Traffic” in Graduate Students: Graduate Students as Tokens of Exchange between Academe and Industry

This study analyzes interview data from 37 science and engineering faculty involved in university-industry relations. Faculty are particularly concerned about how these relations affect their work with graduate students. Our analysis is guided by ritual exchange theory and network theory. First, we explore the ways faculty define and redefine what makes industrial or corporate research appropriate or inappropriate for training graduates. Second, we examine difficulties and tensions faculty face when they work with students on industrial or corporate projects. These difficulties and tensions center on intellectual property and we look at how faculty negotiate with industry over restrictions on publication of graduate student and faculty research results, on faculty and graduate student involvement in start-up companies, and on faculty and graduate student ownership of intellectual property.

Universities and Innovation in Regional Strategic Planning Culture

The relevance of university-industry relationships to economic development is matched by the prolific research work that has been carried out on the interaction between the academic sector and productive systems. However, this research is almost exclusively focused on technology transfer. Considering the context of the emerging knowledge-driven economy in which institutional capacity emerges as a major competitive factor, this paper argues that there is a need to broaden the analytical framework in relation to university-industry links. This argument is based on the perception that universities can play a major role in building regional institutional capacity. The case of the University of Aveiro is explored to illustrate this additional dimension of university-industry interaction.

University—Industry Partnerships, 1990–2000

This paper presents a descriptive analysis of articles on university-industry relationships published between 1990 and 2000 in Industry and Higher Education. The results indicate that the case study methodology is the most common approach in such papers. In terms of the geographical context, most of the articles analyse developments in the UK, other parts of Europe, and the USA. The main subject categories analysed relate to successful experiences of interaction, ways of improving relationships between firms and universities, and appropriate public policies to enhance and encourage such relationships.

Medical innovation and institutional interdependence: rethinking university-industry connections.

University-industry research collaborations have been key to a continued high degree of technological innovation in medicine. Recently, however, critical questions have been posed about the potential negative aspects of highly productive means of encouraging innovation. Concerns center on blurring roles between academic research and the commercial world and the implications of universities' newfound readiness to benefit financially from their intellectual property. The roles of both parties are often inadequately captured by considering members of university faculties as single-mindedly devoted to the advancement of fundamental knowledge and industrial firms as mere developers of university research. Rather, medical innovation depends on extensive interactions between universities and industry, with knowledge and technology transfer flowing in both directions. These interactions have had important public health and economic benefits. Yet, there is a risk to the university-industry relationship if the cultural and ethical principles of one partner overwhelm those of the other. Therefore, universities and industry need to maximize the upsides of collaboration and minimize the downsides by means of internal organizational change as well as formation of new models of collaboration, such as intellectual partnerships or virtual research organizations. This article reviews the numerous institutional patterns of innovation and draws implications for organizational and public policies.

University–industry partnership for effective industrialization: a framework for Ngumzo

A conceptual framework for partnerships between University and Industry emphasizing the need for Ngumzo (i.e. dialogue with harmony) is presented. This framework is based on the model of a microprocessor. Inputs that encompass University–Industry collaboration when processed lead to different outputs. It is being proposed that national policy and delivery of inputs to our national institutions are not sufficient to change the University–Industry relationships or partnerships. The alternative is that it will be the central role of each individual institution, in all its complexity, to pay more attention in the planning, management and evaluation of its technical education among other inherent activities. The experiences of assembling and marketing of the NUNTM PC at the Institute of Nuclear Science will be presented.

Technological innovation and interfirm cooperation: an exploratory analysis using survey data from manufacturing firms in the metropolitan region of Vienna

This paper centres around two research questions: first, the identification of five types of networks that manufacturing firms located in the metropolitan region of Vienna may have created for different purposes and second, the question to what extent the likelihood of interfirm cooperation is conditioned by the general profile of manufacturing establishments and their technological resources. Although this paper focuses on the manufacturing sector, a special emphasis is placed on the electronics industry. The study utilises a recent postal survey providing data on size and organisation, products and markets, research and development, innovation and interfirm relationships. The analysis of the first question finds that first, networking does not yet seem to be a popular managerial and organisational concept for manufacturing firms located in the metropolitan region of Vienna; second, networking activities are primarily based on vertical relationships (customer, manufacturer supplier and producer service provider networks) rather than on horizontal linkages (producer networks, industry-university linkages); third, networks focusing on the later stages of the innovation process are less common than those focusing on the earlier stages; fourth, firms tend to rely on sources of technology from national and - especially - international networks. It appears that metropolitan networking is less common than has been thought. For technical advance spatial proximity does not seem to be very important. Turning to the second research question of the study, focusing on the adoption of the managerial and organisational concept of networking, the results are bolstering the argument that establishment traits and technology related-capabilities do play a role. The results achieved reveal, for example, that in-house research skills are a very good predictor for industry-university relationships.

A Comparison of U.S. and European University-Industry Relations in the Life Sciences

We draw on diverse data sets to compare the institutional organization of upstream life science research across the United States and Europe. Understanding cross-national differences in the organization of innovative labor in the life sciences requires attention to the structure and evolution of biomedical networks involving public research organizations (universities, government laboratories, nonprofit research institutes, and research hospitals), science-based biotechnology firms, and multinational pharmaceutical corporations. We use network visualization methods and correspondence analyses to demonstrate that innovative research in biomedicine has its origins in regional clusters in the United States and in European nations. But the scientific and organizational composition of these regions varies in consequential ways. In the United States, public research organizations and small firms conduct R&D across multiple therapeutic areas and stages of the development process. Ties within and across these regions link small firms and diverse public institutions, contributing to the development of a robust national network. In contrast, the European story is one of regional specialization with a less diverse group of public research organizations working in a smaller number of therapeutic areas. European institutes develop local connections to small firms working on similar scientific problems, while cross-national linkages of European regional clusters typically involve large pharmaceutical corporations. We show that the roles of large and small firms differ in the United States and Europe, arguing that the greater heterogeneity of the U.S. system is based on much closer integration of basic science and clinical development.

Changing knowledge production and Latin American universities

This article examines some of the main issues affecting knowledge production in Latin America. The focus is on universities, because they are the principal regional producers of knowledge up to now. The paper compares changes and continuities concerning academic values and attitudes, governmental policies, university–industry relations and endogenous knowledge generation, analysing also the connection between the ‘structurally unachieved’ National Systems of Innovation (NSI) in Latin America and the social ‘loneliness’ of universities. The article finishes by sketching alternative scenarios for the future interaction between knowledge generation and university transformation.

A study of university-industry linkages in the biotechnology industry: perspectives from Canada

This study focuses on the trends in university-industry linkages in the Canadian biotechnology industry. Technology transfer from university to industry has been a main component in biotechnology innovation. In most industrialised countries, the government has played a role in the development of university-industry relationships. Studies have focused on the pros and cons of university-industry linkages as well as the impact of government funding and regulation on high technology innovation. This paper seeks to understand the patterns of university-industry collaboration, factors influencing such collaboration and the role of government support in university-industry partnerships in three main regions of biotechnology innovation in Canada. These three areas are Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Results show that most collaborations within Canada are with local universities as well as with foreign universities. Ontario-based firms are driven by product development whereas Montreal and Vancouver based firms are motivated by their access to university scientists and university research. Government support is acknowledged for firm-based research and technology transfer.