University-business Cooperation Research Articles

RUSSIAN HIGHER EDUCATION MEETING CHALLENGES OF 21ST CENTURY LABOUR MARKET

The purpose of this article is to review and compare ideas about the changes taking place in the process of Russian higher education modernization. The methods used are theoretical and empirical (an analysis and synthesis of literature, interviewing, observation and analysis of the educational process at a University). As a result of the research it is shown that the modernization is complicated by such factors as insufficient financing, poor infrastructure, psychological inability of the professorial staff to comply with the demands of a modernizing society, bureaucracy, and lack of university-business cooperation. The development of Russian corporate education may bring about considerable changes in the sphere of professional training and retraining. It may trigger off a change in the role of traditional institutes of professional development. Classical universities are no longer the only suppliers of the labour force. In the contemporary labour market, they compete with corporate educational institutions. It is concluded that traditional educational institutions and corporate educational institutions will be able to collaborate effectively in postindustrial Russia. Traditional universities should record, systematize and transmit universal cultural norms and values. They should preserve cultural heritage preventing it from disappearing. The improvement of university-business cooperation promotes government-business partnership, which is well illustrated by the Skolkovo Innovation Center.

Impact evaluation for University-Business Cooperation and Technology Transfer in higher education systems: cluster analysis

Abstract Higher education systems evolved in recent decades. Universities must not only provide society with capable professionals but also act in the market for technologies, knowledge, and ideas to promote technological development. This paper discusses the motivational performance evaluation system for technology transfer process, specifically the patterns’ evaluation of academic units considering micro-cultures and idiosyncrasies’ analysis, in the academic context of autonomy. Based on action research, the existing performance evaluation system was assessed, and multivariate cluster analysis was proposed and tested as a method to enable micro cultures’ identification and evaluation. The analysis proposed enabled a tool for reflexive discussion regarding the effectiveness of the institutional innovation system in academic units and Engineering Education, and its implications for social and technological development of industry and society enabled action proposals for improvement in the university’s technology transfer management process.

University-business cooperation: adapting the curriculum and educational package to labor market requirements

AbstractThe paper explores the current state of the university-business cooperation at EU, and national level, and it seems that a more structured university-business cooperation might enable universities to adapt their curricula to meet labor market requirements better. A project was designed to address this issue and received funding on a national merit-based competition. During project implementation, exploratory surveys have conducted, findings-based solutions have adopted in practice with promising results. The paper presents the conceptual framework of the Adapt2jobs project, the main activities, and results and how these converged with the current trend in university-business cooperation. The study limits emerged from the scale of the project implementation, and from the response rate registered at the business cohort. Nevertheless, the paper has a clear, practical value which demonstrates that the university-business cooperation can be efficient in curriculum adaptation to the labor market requirements. The study has a real potential for duplication in a wider context, and a comparative analysis is needed to identify good practices in the field, nationally and internationally.

The UBC ecosystem: putting together a comprehensive framework for university-business cooperation

The potential for a functional ‘triple helix’ to contribute to economic development is being increasingly accepted and embraced, particularly the bilateral relationship between higher education institutions (HEIs) and business. However, university-business cooperation (UBC) is still a fragmented and indistinct field of research, and the understanding of UBC remains inadequate since most research is undertaken around specific elements, rather than as an encompassing, overarching and interconnected system. This paper aims fills this gap in the literature by putting the pieces together to create an integrated and comprehensive conceptual UBC framework for HEIs, the UBC Ecosystem. The framework illustrates the components present in the UBC environment for HEIs, such as inputs, activities, outcomes, outputs, impacts, supporting mechanisms, circumstances and context, specifying a wide range of sub-elements for each of them. In doing so, this paper makes a strong theoretical contribution with the creation of a conceptual framework, highlighting the more important elements and their interrelations as well as suggesting future research. Additionally, the paper makes a practical contribution, establishing a common UBC schema for HEI managers and policymakers to make strategic and operative decisions, and used as a base for evidence-based management and policy.

Erratum to: Does context matter in academic entrepreneurship? The role of barriers and drivers in the regional and national context

With pressure on universities to better contribute to society, academic entrepreneurship is an increasingly recognised source of new knowledge and technologies as well as being a driver of the movement to a knowledge society. However, whilst growing, the level of academic entrepreneurship in Europe is still relatively low. Two reasons that are factors influencing this are inhibitors (barriers) and facilitators (drivers), however the understanding of how their interplay influences academic entrepreneurship, particularly across different context is lacking. For this reason, this study focussed on two environmental settings, European regions and countries, seeking to understand if it is the hurdle (barrier) or (and/or) tail-wind (drivers) that most impacts academic entrepreneurship and how does the regional or national context influence this. An online survey was translated into 22 languages and undertaken in 33 countries in Europe and the European Economic Area. From the original data set, 12 countries in four European regions provided a sample of 2925 responses, with a second step to focus on four ‘lead’ countries within those regions. The results show that there is a significant difference in the university-business cooperation barriers and drivers that effect academic entrepreneurship in the European regions. Furthermore, different barriers and drivers were found to significantly affect the four lead countries with barriers and drivers being able to provide a good explanation of the extent of academic entrepreneurship in the UK and Germany, and a limited explanation of entrepreneurial activity by Spanish and Polish academics. Overall the article contributes to the literature of resource-based theory and also the understanding of factors influencing European academic entrepreneurship.

PRACTICAL RESEARCH OF UNIVERSITY-BUSINESS COOPERATION IN RUSSIA AND THE EMCOSU COUNTRIES

The successful cooperation between universities and business is becoming increasingly important in conditions of modern development, characterized by rapid knowledge obsolescence, an increasing level of products and services innovation, globalization of the economy. A state that promotes networking between business, universities and government structures gets a competitive advantage by rapidly transferring new knowledge created with the introduction of innovative products. Companies and research organizations increase their chances of developing more quickly and efficiently, taking advantage of new opportunities. In addition, there are a number of universities that became drivers of strategic development of regions due to their role as key providers of innovation in the knowledge economy and maintaining communication with industry. The purpose of the study is a comparative analysis and identification of the most successful forms of university-business cooperation in Russia and European countries as a basis for the formation of promising areas of further development. The research is based on a survey of companies conducted in EMCOSU countries (Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Spain) with the participation of Russia in late 2014 within the framework of a consortium of universities, as well as in other European countries. The study revealed that there are both general forms and approaches, and the features of cooperation. «Drivers» and barriers of interaction between universities and business for different countries were identified. The results of the research show promising directions for the university-business cooperation development in Russia and other developing countries.

Development of competences while solving real industrial interdisciplinary problems: a successful cooperation with industry

Abstract The development of projects in industrial context constitutes an exceptional opportunity for engineering students to develop competences expected by the labour market. Therefore, the adoption of this type of interaction within engineering curricula is highly recommended, not only at the end of the degree, but also in the previous years. The main purpose of this paper is to present and analyse a Project-Based Learning (PBL) semester in which six teams of Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) students integrate different areas of knowledge, while solving real problems of five companies, emphasizing the technical solutions developed by the students and the feedback provided by the companies. Students’ feedback will be also addressed. The main outcomes of this study reveal that most of the technical solutions lie in areas of Lean applications and ergonomic improvement of workplaces. Companies were very pleased with the results of this type of University-Business Cooperation (UBC).

Converting university knowledge into value: how conceptual frameworks contribute to the understanding of the third mission role of European universities

The importance of universities in the movement of western economies from industrial to knowledge-driven economies is increasingly recognised, there has been a greater focus by policy makers and academics on the university's role. Resultantly, a number of conceptual frameworks have been created to capture this changing role, however, there remains a lack of clarity as to how the modern university engages a set of external stakeholders, resulting in a 'tangling' of conceptual frameworks explaining this 'third mission' paradigm. This article untangles these third mission concepts highlighting four areas of variance: the focus on public versus private good, the relation to university-business cooperation and entrepreneurship, the relation to theory and the stakeholder perspective taken by the frameworks. In doing so, it provides insight into how universities interact externally to convert their knowledge into value and make a case for a proactive approach to the third mission by university managers.

The new face of university–business cooperation in Finland

This paper analyses the development of university–business cooperation (UBC) in Finland in the context of the University Reform Act of 2009, drawing on the experience of four universities: Aalto University, University of Jyväskylä, University of Turku, and Lappeenranta University of Technology. Six UBC dimensions are examined: institutional context, stakeholders, motivations, facilitators/inhibitors, benefits, and drawbacks. We find that UBC, while a relatively recent process, is growing fast in dynamic local innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems. The University Act of 2009 had an uneven effect on the six UBC dimensions, with the most visible impact being manifested on motivations. Aalto University’s leading position in UBC and strong capacity to raise public and private funding has a dual effect: while being a major achievement, it also tends to polarize the Finnish universities financially, through a Matthew effect that may slow down UBC development in other universities.

Developing University-Business Cooperation through Evidence-based Management

As every new field of practice, university-business cooperation (UBC) is undergoing growing pains in the search for successful approaches toward linking the scientific and business world. These growing pains are often based on the lack of market-oriented thinking and acting and the focus on day-to-day operations as opposed to a critical evaluation of the actions taken in the past. In line with this, this article aims at evaluating the opportunity to advance university-business cooperation through evidence-based management. More specifically, it reflects how a scientific-analytical UBC unit might complement the strategic and operational perspective of UBC, contributing to the advancement of an institution's UBC but also knowledge on UBC in general. Taking the Science-to-Business Marketing Research Centre at Münster University of Applied Sciences as a case study, the article highlights how such an analytical-scientific UBC unit can generate various benefits, provided that the right setup and the acknowledgement of specific success factors are given.

The Relevance of Problem‐based Learning for Policy Development in University‐Business Cooperation

Most prior research on academic entrepreneurship focuses on the interplay between university research and technology transfer activities in the form of joint research, spinoffs, licencing and patenting. Yet questions still remain with respect to the role of academic entrepreneurship in education and learning. Lifelong learning has been developing to one of the top priorities for many higher education institutions, with a greater emphasis on developing transversal skills in students, including entrepreneurship. An increasingly adopted approach to developing transversal skills through education is through problem‐based learning (PBL) which shifts the focus from teacher‐driven education to student‐centred learning involving active participation of learners. By taking the students’ perspective, this article presents the effects of PBL in the context of university‐business cooperation (UBC) on the development of student's transversal skills. According to our findings, UBC‐based PBL has an effect on the interpersonal skills of students, such as teamwork and communication, and is a promising approach with regard to entrepreneurship education and paving the way for long‐term and more intense UBC activities.

What drives and inhibits university‐business cooperation inEurope? A comprehensive assessement

Knowledge transfer between universities and organizations is essential, not only for the organizations involved but also for the broader innovation system. Understanding the factors that drive or inhibit this process, thus, becomes a priority. Yet, the increasingly prolific academic literature dealing with university‐business cooperation (UBC) possesses a strong focus on barriers rather than drivers and only examines few of the cooperation activities that exist in practice. This article offers a comprehensive review and analysis of an extensive set of barriers and drivers across seven UBC activities with a large sample of European academics from 33 countries. Results highlight that while the identified drivers significantly affect the development of all cooperation activities, barriers have more diverse effects. While significantly limiting research and valorization activities, they barely impact cooperation in education. Additionally, results show that even if academics perceive no barriers they still may not cooperate with business if there are no drivers in place. This article concludes by discussing the relevant implications for research, management and policy development regarding UBC, leading to directions for future research.

Enhancing The Development Of Competencies: the role of UBC

This article aims at clarifying whether and how University Business Cooperation (UBC) can be expanded from knowledge transfer to the core field of education. Higher education institutions exert a decisive influence by teaching students to understand academic theories, methods and areas of knowledge, contributing to their cultural enrichment and development of personality, and preparing them for further work and other spheres of life. Higher education aims at establishing the basis of relevant knowledge that will help students to understand and acquire the competencies they will need in their professional lives. Universities supply graduates to the economy and that includes developing the right set of skills to acceptable levels. Consequently, an explicit goal of UBC should be to point out what those skills should be and how to target education at developing them. The competencies acquired by the flow of new graduates emerging each year from higher education institutions in the labour market is an expression of the multidimensional output obtained from the resources allocated to the higher education system. New ways for UBC are called to play a prominent role in defining both a model of teaching and learning that is better adjusted to social and economic demands and a dynamic and flexible system of continuing education to retrain people as social and economic conditions evolve. Nevertheless, the implementation of reforms in higher education calls for a deeper understanding of possible trade‐offs between the diverse types of resources involved and the outcomes obtained. Resources should be examined in terms of their relative costs and the results interpreted with regard to their value to individuals and society.

Considering University‐Business Cooperation Modes from the Perspective of Enterprises

This article analyses enterprises’ engagement in university‐business cooperation (UBC) activities: research and development, mobility of academics and students, curriculum development and lifelong learning. It first provides an introductory overview of university‐business cooperation policy. It then presents a selection of UBC models, elements and processes that help to develop this area. In the second part, it introduces a UBC survey among enterprises in various European countries. With the survey, it first conceptualises an own research approach and, on this basis, studies the relations between UBC approaches and the processes, drivers, barriers, organisational characteristics and modes of cooperation. It explores which are the most practised UBC modes and the most important determinants. One of the key findings revealed that companies’ engagement in innovation departments supported all five modes of UBC under investigation. Other findings of the article suggest that national and European policies cannot uniformly address the development of various UBC modes. There are substantial differences between teaching‐ and research‐related activities. Integrating these two areas represents one of the biggest challenges with regard to orientating HE towards the world of work. It is related to the agreement on employers’ role in the overall development of graduates’ competencies and also on the future of academic teaching from the perspective of practical training.

University-Industry Linkages in Two Industrial Clusters in Norway

The paper compares the collaboration between a university and an industrial cluster in two different regions in Norway. One is a small Western coast regional university with many ties to the regional maritime industry, which is part of the strongest national industrial cluster. To examine an influence of university-business cooperation on education and research in the medical imaging industry and maritime industry of Norway, a case study approach was selected. Our study reveals a clear division of labor between teaching-oriented regional universities serving regional firms, and research-intensive large universities catering for knowledge and candidate needs for larger firms all over the country.

Nurture over nature: How do European universities support their collaboration with business?

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have been placed at the core of regional innovation ecosystems and encouraged to contribute to the social and economic development of the communities where they operate. In response to this change in the environment, HEIs have faced the need to adapt their organisational culture, practices and structures. In spite of the acknowledged relevance of university-business cooperation (UBC) as a source of HEI competitive advantage, and the recognition that appropriate interventions or supporting mechanisms can effectively foster UBC, there is still little systematic understanding of organizational mechanisms in the HEI management of UBC. In order to fill this gap, this paper identifies and evaluates the mechanisms that European HEIs are using to nurture industry collaboration at strategic and operational level and assess their relationship with seven UBC activities. With a sample of 2.157 HEI managers in 33 countries, the main results highlight the importance of the combination of support at both strategic and operational levels and the core role of the management commitment for all UBC activities. The paper concludes with the contribution to theory and the relevant implications for UBC managers and policy makers.

Intervention-research in Organizations: Supporting Track and Tools to Enhance Reflective Attitude in Higher Education

This paper presents a research developed at the University of Padua with the aim to observe the learning results of a University-Business Cooperation experience in humanities. The research involved 18 graduating students in Continuing Education and Management of Educational Services who planned and put in practice an intervention- research on organisation’s needs and questions. This contribution focuses on strategies and tools to support their research process and their relationship between the two reference organisations: university and enterprise. Processes and tools to enhance reflective attitude are presented and analysis of data collected are explored

The Role of Human Capital in University-Business Cooperation: The Case of Mexico

The interaction between industrial firms and academia has long been extremely weak in Mexico in spite of the manufacturing revival sparked by NAFTA since 1994. This situation is paradoxical given the persistent efforts from the Mexican State to encourage university-industry linkages. Over the years, this uncoupling has produced two effects: on the one hand, university research has followed its own agenda, mainly driven by scientists’ interests based on their career tracks, and on the other hand, most firms lack research and development capabilities because they have preferred to seek abroad for technological advice. Because human capital plays a crucial role in this phenomenon, we then focus on answering the following question: to what extent are Mexican industrial firms able to harness university knowledge? Analyses carried out on a survey of 39,336 enterprises, which were collected by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), suggest that larger firms are more capable of absorbing the knowledge generated by universities thanks to their higher level of human capital, whereas smaller firms face harder challenges to harness academic knowledge because of their lack of qualified engineers and technicians that can help them to address their innovative endeavours. The implication of these results for public policy is that collaboration between industry and academia in Mexico can be encouraged by selectively supporting the hire of relatively low-trained engineering graduates and technicians, whereas universities should also be able to promote key programming skills, technical training, infrastructure skills and even sales training and negotiation skills, much earlier in the academic process.

Developing university-business cooperation through work-integrated learning

While university-business cooperation (UBC) is predominantly focused on commercialisation involving university staff and firms, the area of work-integrated learning (WIL) including students is increasing in prominence. WIL is an intrinsic component and catalyst for broader UBC. It has also been widely recognised as fundamental in the education arena to equip graduates with the required industry experience to innovate successfully. Despite its importance, the UBC literature places limited attention on WIL. Cooperation between university and business at the organisational level of relevant institutions as well as the individual level of participating managers and students is fundamental. Focusing on the student at the interface of UBC, this study contributes a framework for developing UBC through WIL. Managerial implications are discussed for universities and businesses engaged in UBC.

University-Business Cooperation and Entrepreneurship at Universities – An Empirical Based Comparison of Poland and Germany

The EU's growth strategy for the coming decade (recorded and defined by Horizon2020) and the higher education modernisation agenda force all European countries to establish a more connected and better functioning relationship between the three most important players government, business and higher education institutions (HEI's) in order to increase employment, productivity and social cohesion. This article explores the development of University-Business Cooperation (UBC) both in Poland and in Germany, shining a spotlight on the various factors influencing UBC, as well as providing a comparison of the two countries. The focus lays on a Polish-German comparison i.e. the compared analyses of the state of UBC in Germany and Poland from the perspective of HEI managers and researchers. Applying a UBC-ecosystem of different factors and action levels (http://ub-cooperation.eu/pdf/ UBCECO.pdf) the major differences of both countries are identified, addressed and commented to offer opportunities for improvements. This paper describes and discusses selected findings of a study, which had been conducted for the European Commission to analyse University-Business Cooperation in 33 European countries by the S2B Marketing Research Centre at Munster University of Applied Sciences.