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Fostering University‐Industry R&D Collaborations in European Union Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Cunningham, James

    (National University of Ireland)

  • Link, Albert

    (University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Economics)

Abstract

This paper advances our understanding of university-industry research and development (R&D) collaborations. These strategic relationships are a dimension of entrepreneurial activity, and they are thus important drivers of economic growth and development. Business collaboration with universities increases the efficiency and effectiveness of industrial investments. Previous studies have found that universities are more likely to collaborate with industry if the business is mature and large, is engaged in exploratory internal R&D, and there are not major intellectual property (IP) issues between both parties. Businesses gain from such collaborations through increased commercialisation probabilities and economies of technological scope. Based on publicly available data collected by the Science-to-Business Marketing Research Centre of Germany as part of a European Commission project, our paper focuses on two key questions. First, why are there cross-country differences in the extent to which universities collaborate with business in R&D? Second, are there covariates with these differences that might offer insight into policy prescriptions and policy levers for enhancing the extent to which such collaboration takes place? We find that access is positive and statistically significant in relation to fostering university business R&D collaborations. Our results, albeit that they are tempered by a small sample of data, have implications how national innovation systems support further harmonization of IP regimes across universities and how universities priorities its own investments and incentives.

Suggested Citation

  • Cunningham, James & Link, Albert, 2014. "Fostering University‐Industry R&D Collaborations in European Union Countries," UNCG Economics Working Papers 14-3, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Economics.
  • Handle: RePEc:ris:uncgec:2014_003
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Albats, Ekaterina & Bogers, Marcel & Podmetina, Daria, 2020. "Companies’ human capital for university partnerships: A micro-foundational perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    2. Dnishev Farkhat Musayevich & Alzhanova Farida Gazizovna & Alibekova Gulnaz Zhanatovna, 2015. "Innovative development of Kazakhstan on the basis of Triple Helix and cluster approach," Экономика региона, CyberLeninka;Федеральное государственное бюджетное учреждение науки «Институт экономики Уральского отделения Российской академии наук», issue 2, pages 160-171.
    3. Guerrero, Maribel & Cunningham, James A. & Urbano, David, 2015. "Economic impact of entrepreneurial universities’ activities: An exploratory study of the United Kingdom," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 748-764.
    4. Ekaterina Albats & Irina Fiegenbaum & James A. Cunningham, 2018. "A micro level study of university industry collaborative lifecycle key performance indicators," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 389-431, April.
    5. Bojan Ćudić & Iwona Skrodzka, 2021. "‘Soft’ Support Infrastructure And The Performance Of Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises In European Countries," Economic Annals, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Belgrade, vol. 66(230), pages 67-100, July – Se.
    6. Barry Bozeman & Monica Gaughan & Jan Youtie & Catherine P. Slade & Heather Rimes, 2016. "Research collaboration experiences, good and bad: Dispatches from the front lines," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 43(2), pages 226-244.
    7. Ozdemir, Dilek & Dabic, Marina & Daim, Tugrul, 2019. "Entrepreneurship education from a Croatian medical student's perspective," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    R&D collaborations; entrepreneurship; university-industry partnerships; European Union;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy

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