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01/11/2017
Economic drivers are putting the pressure on universities and industry to collaborate, but according to Global Innovation Index data, Australian universities and companies are falling behind when it comes to collaborating (Australia down from 17th in 2015 to 19th in 2016).
By working together, academia and industry can solve problems they wouldn’t have otherwise been equipped to tackle on their own. Further, without such synergy, organisations and nations will struggle to achieve their economic potential, and global productivity will inevitably be compromised.
But with a range of organisational barriers in place such as the size of the industry or institution, their internal processes, timeframes and structures, industry seems reluctant to engage with universities. However, the payoff is significant for companies who choose to collaborate with academic institutions.
Access to a wide range of infrastructure within universities, including multi-million dollar pieces of equipment is a big win for industry, particularly small-to-medium sized enterprises. Valued at around $10 million, Edith Cowan University’s (ECU) Clean Room has been used on a range of industry projects including materials growth, etching and metallisation.
Through working with an academic institution, industry can apply diverse expertise to the research question, rather than looking at the problem through a single lens. That diversity, in turn, will deliver greater diffusion of innovations, and thus moral, social and productivity benefits.
Economic pressures have resulted in many companies finding it difficult to fund the development of their products and services, and to remain competitive in the market. Working with universities to solve business problems could be the key for companies seeking to thrive in a complex and competitive environment.
Funding models, Linkage grants and research and development tax incentives can be secured by collaborating with a university and play a fundamental role in developing new pathways for industry.
Earlier this year, a $1.6 million grant, funded by the Federal Government’s Cooperative Research Centre – Project scheme, was awarded to ClearVue Technologies to collaborate with ECU’s Electron Science Research Institute to develop greenhouses powered by nanotechnology.
Market conditions continue to push both industry and academia to become more agile, and for industry to develop products and services that push the boundaries. Nevertheless, the current level of engagement between industry and academia is relatively low.
If academic research questions were influenced by industry problems, the outcome would be more collaborations and the development of new products and services.
Communication issues, as well as conflicting timeframes, processes and Intellectual Property expectations, must be addressed to promote collaboration and to ensure both parties receive a reasonable outcome from the partnership.
Sometimes industry doesn’t know how to get through the front door and approach academics in a university setting. For academics, who often collaborate both internally and externally, the concern with engaging with industry is being unable to publish and the pressure they might receive from the business on how to approach the research question or problem.
Industry’s track record of external collaboration within other industry organisations is relatively poor. Twenty-four per cent of Australian businesses collaborate on innovation compared with the OECD average of 35 per cent. There appears to be a lack of desire to collaborate, most likely as a result of a difference in timeframes, agility, risk and bureaucracy.
Traditionally, the higher education sector has been more focused on meeting their KPIs. However, the introduction of metrics around research impact and engagement is a big shift in the sector’s thinking towards how universities can help industry partners to achieve their community aspirations.
To address the lack of industry engagement, ECU developed and launched the iPREP WA model in 2014, to boost collaboration by offering a program where PhD students spend six weeks working with a business to address an industry problem. The success of iPREP WA, rolled out across all five Western Australian universities by 2015, highlights the value of collaboration, but is only one part of the broader solution.
By working together, academia and industry can solve problems they wouldn’t have otherwise been equipped to tackle on their own. Further, without such synergy, organisations and nations will struggle to achieve their economic potential, and global productivity will inevitably be compromised.
But with a range of organisational barriers in place such as the size of the industry or institution, their internal processes, timeframes and structures, industry seems reluctant to engage with universities. However, the payoff is significant for companies who choose to collaborate with academic institutions.
Access to a wide range of infrastructure within universities, including multi-million dollar pieces of equipment is a big win for industry, particularly small-to-medium sized enterprises. Valued at around $10 million, Edith Cowan University’s (ECU) Clean Room has been used on a range of industry projects including materials growth, etching and metallisation.
Through working with an academic institution, industry can apply diverse expertise to the research question, rather than looking at the problem through a single lens. That diversity, in turn, will deliver greater diffusion of innovations, and thus moral, social and productivity benefits.
Economic pressures have resulted in many companies finding it difficult to fund the development of their products and services, and to remain competitive in the market. Working with universities to solve business problems could be the key for companies seeking to thrive in a complex and competitive environment.
Funding models, Linkage grants and research and development tax incentives can be secured by collaborating with a university and play a fundamental role in developing new pathways for industry.
Earlier this year, a $1.6 million grant, funded by the Federal Government’s Cooperative Research Centre – Project scheme, was awarded to ClearVue Technologies to collaborate with ECU’s Electron Science Research Institute to develop greenhouses powered by nanotechnology.
Market conditions continue to push both industry and academia to become more agile, and for industry to develop products and services that push the boundaries. Nevertheless, the current level of engagement between industry and academia is relatively low.
If academic research questions were influenced by industry problems, the outcome would be more collaborations and the development of new products and services.
Communication issues, as well as conflicting timeframes, processes and Intellectual Property expectations, must be addressed to promote collaboration and to ensure both parties receive a reasonable outcome from the partnership.
Sometimes industry doesn’t know how to get through the front door and approach academics in a university setting. For academics, who often collaborate both internally and externally, the concern with engaging with industry is being unable to publish and the pressure they might receive from the business on how to approach the research question or problem.
Industry’s track record of external collaboration within other industry organisations is relatively poor. Twenty-four per cent of Australian businesses collaborate on innovation compared with the OECD average of 35 per cent. There appears to be a lack of desire to collaborate, most likely as a result of a difference in timeframes, agility, risk and bureaucracy.
Traditionally, the higher education sector has been more focused on meeting their KPIs. However, the introduction of metrics around research impact and engagement is a big shift in the sector’s thinking towards how universities can help industry partners to achieve their community aspirations.
To address the lack of industry engagement, ECU developed and launched the iPREP WA model in 2014, to boost collaboration by offering a program where PhD students spend six weeks working with a business to address an industry problem. The success of iPREP WA, rolled out across all five Western Australian universities by 2015, highlights the value of collaboration, but is only one part of the broader solution.
THE LINK, launched in mid-2016 through a strategic collaboration between ECU and the City of Joondalup, is addressing access and communication issues as a priority by connecting businesses and academic researchers to develop innovative solutions to solve real-life problems.
Professor Cobie Rudd, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Strategic Partnerships is leading ECU’s partnerships with industry and is developing new processes, systems and organisational cultural change to better monitor progress and any slippage in relationships, including commercialisation of research. This body of work will play a key role as the university continues to mature, with additional links provided through working with the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.
While universities tend to be keen collaborators, they could entice industry further through delivering an industry ready package for businesses. Ensuring ECU’s graduates are ”world ready” will be a fundamental part of this ”package”.
Working between two very different organisational structures, with each having its own expectations, can pose challenges for collaboration. However, there are plenty of opportunities for industry and university engagement that could benefit both parties.
Providing researchers with business problems with longer turnaround times is one solution to encourage successful collaboration between universities and industry. This will provide researchers with enough time to explore a problem, while industry doesn’t have the financial pressure of needing the issue resolved immediately.
Academic institutions are in a great position to address business problems that will impact business in the long term and, through this engagement, industry can diversify and stand out from their competition.
With most universities boasting innovation precincts and commercialisation programs, the interest from academics to collaborate with industry is strong and expected to continue to grow.
As economic challenges continue, and pressure from government grows, there will be an increase in collaboration between industry and academia.
Research will continue to hold great importance, with practical research playing an emerging role in the wider community through solving real world problems.