University-industry collaboration : systemic interaction or one-way knowledge transfer?

Abstract

This thesis investigates university-industry collaboration in certain science-based and high technology sectors in Norway. University-industry interactions have received increased attention from both politicians, academics and industrial managers since the 1980s, and the topic seems highly relevant for research. Some argue that industry has become more ìscience basedî, and that there is no major difference between industrial and academic research in certain ìnewî fields of science and technology, such as computer science and biotechnology. Types of, motivations for and obstacles to university-industry collaboration are investigated in order to find out whether university-industry collaborations in certain high technology and science based fields might be seen as mutual learning processes rather than as one-way knowledge transfers. The analysis is based on empirical data obtained through interviewees with R&D managers and university researchers mainly from the biotechnology, pharmaceutics, computer science and information technology sectors. The investigation reveals that there are numerous modes of interaction and motivations for collaboration for both academics and companies. However, access to the other parts' competence seems to be the main motivation for both parties. This suggests that companies in some sectors have so much competence that university-industry collaboration might involve knowledge exchange and mutual learning rather than one-way knowledge transfer. The findings are in accordance with modern approaches to innovation. These suggest that science and technology are highly intertwined, and that innovation takes place through systemic interaction between companies and external sources of knowledge. Keywords: University-industry collaboration, innovation, innovation systems