University-industry collaboration: drivers and barriers

Technology and knowledge transfer often depends on direct collaboration between those who develop new knowledge and those who apply this knowledge. This chapter provides an overview of the phenomenon of university-industry collaboration and the inherent drivers and barriers in this relationship. Many studies show that university-industry collaboration is highly beneficial for the innovativeness and performance of firms. Still, there are many obstacles that hamper effective collaboration between academia and industry. Based on the scientific research in this area, this chapter provides an overview of key drivers and barriers to university-industry collaboration. With particular emphasis on research partnerships, we outline specific drivers and barriers related to the connections between university and industry partners, differences in their organizational culture, the role of organizational characteristics, and the types of relationships. We conclude by providing some suggestions for practice for how to improve university-industry collaborations.