Role of University-Industry collaborations in increasing research output

Abstract:

Over the recent past, several instances, of successful university-industry collaborations (UIC) have been reported by many countries across the globe. We have also witnessed significant improvements in the competence of scientific research institutions (SRIs). One indication of these observations has manifested in numerous technology transfers between universities and the industrial sector, resulting in the launch of multiple new product development initiatives. This study explores another characteristic of such relationships: does university- industry collaborative research impact the research output of a country. Our study reveals that patent applications are positively affected both by UIC and quality of the SRIs. Moreover, while scientific technical publications (STPBs) are positively influenced by quality of SRIs, they are negatively affected by UIC research. Such studies could very well be expanded to include knowledge diffusion, resource sharing, etc. as prospective outcomes of the collaborative research.

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