Bringing SMEs to the University

1999 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 239-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisbeth Tved Linde

This paper addresses the difficulties that a university has to overcome if it is to interact successfully with firms and other organizations in its region. Various means of overcoming these difficulties are described. Involving small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in university–industry cooperative activities is, however, especially problematic. The author argues that this can be achieved in a relatively simple way by the construction of networks organized around a university's core research areas. She describes and assesses the practical experiences arising from Aalborg University's implementation of a number of such networks, highlighting the benefits to SMEs and key aspects of the administrative structure that have ensured its success.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4532
Author(s):  
Rumpa Roy ◽  
Hesham El Marsafawy

Universities foster a collaboration with industry with their commitment towards society. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of organizations facilitate implementation of the recognition of prior learning (RPL) in higher education, while creating long-term opportunities for sustainable development. The researchers of this study come from two different disciplines, and aim to embed sustainable development strategies for transforming education by utilizing the capacity of educators and industry professionals, while also contributing to the community and economy. The researcher with a specialization in economics identified the well-being of the community and economy, and another researcher with a design and ergonomics background brought the concept of service design. Results of the conducted surveys imply that a skill gap exists in the labor market and participants from the community are interested in receiving hands on training from the industry. The researchers introduce a model focusing on the significance and implementation of RPL, allowing youth and adults to accumulate credit through non-formal and informal learning experiences. The model reflects how the university assesses the current skills and needs of the target communities, how they are communicated to industry by identifying potential areas of development, how industry responds to the needs by providing training, and how the university acknowledges prior learning and promotes potential candidates to contribute towards industry.


1995 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 285-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay Mitra ◽  
Piero Formica

This article analyses the behaviour of ‘learning’ companies and ‘entrepreneurial’ universities in the context of the territorial and business ecosystems of innovation in which they are involved. Against a background of the fundamental differences between the higher education and the commercial sector, and the history of university—industry cooperation in Europe, the characteristics of territorial ecosystems for innovation (TEIs) are set out and the holistic, networking and interactive models of knowledge and technology transfer are discussed. This analysis provides a conceptual framework for the successful development of territorial ecosystems of innovation which are identified as crucial for future successful European socio-economic development. As concrete examples of activities which contribute towards this end, the authors offer brief case studies of the Economic Development Unit and Innovation Centre at the University of North London and the London Technopole Initiative.


2021 ◽  
pp. 314-336
Author(s):  
Jizhen Li ◽  
Ximing Yin ◽  
Subrina Shen

Science-based innovation in universities and diffusion through university-industry linkages are the keys to strengthening national innovation capability, especially for emerging markets. This chapter provides a critical overview of China’s innovation and technology transfer between the university and industry in the context of globalization and the new industrial revolution. By doing this, the chapter attempts to provide critical insights for relevant stakeholders—whether they be researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, government officials, investors, or international organizations—in China’s development, innovation, and technology transfer. The chapter illustrates three aspects related to China’s innovation and technology transfer in comparison with other major players in the field. Then it further analyzes the drivers and challenges of China’s science-based innovation and university technology transfer for understanding the future of China’s innovation and technology transfer.


2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 251-261
Author(s):  
Shaul Katzir

Historians, philosophers, and physicists portray the 1920s and 1930s as a period of major theoretical breakthrough in physics, quantum mechanics, which led to the expansion of physics into the core of the atom and the growth and strengthening of the discipline. These important developments in scientific inquiry into the micro-world and light have turned historical attention away from other significant historical processes and from other equally important causes for the expansion of physics. World War II, on the other hand, is often seen as the watershed moment when physics achieved new levels of social and technical engagement at a truly industrial scale. Historians have shown that military interests and government funding have shaped physics to unprecedented degree, and according to some, to the extent of discontinuity with earlier practices of research (Forman 1987; Kevles 1990; Kaiser 2002). In this vein, Stuart Leslie wrote, “Nothing in the prewar experience fully prepared academic scientists and their institutions for the scale and scope of a wartime mobilization that would transform the university, industry, and the federal government and their mutual interrelationships” (Leslie 1993, 6). While one can never befullyready for novelties, the contributors to this issue show that developments in interwar physics did prepare participants for their cold war interactions with industry and government.


2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 121-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Aizpun ◽  
Diego Sandino ◽  
Inaki Merideno

<p>In addition to the engineering knowledge base that has been traditionally taught, today’s undergraduate engineering students need to be given the opportunity to practice a set of skills that will be demanded to them by future employers, namely: creativity, teamwork, problem solving, leadership and the ability to generate innovative ideas. In order to achieve this and educate engineers with both in-depth technical knowledge and professional skills, universities must carry out their own innovating and find suitable approaches that serve their students. This article presents a novel approach that involves university-industry collaboration. It is based on creating a student community for a particular company, allowing students to deal with real industry projects and apply what they are learning in the classroom. A sample project for the German sports brand adidas is presented, along with the project results and evaluation by students and teachers. The university-industry collaborative approach is shown to be beneficial for both students and industry.</p>


Educação ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 73
Author(s):  
Evandro Coggo Cristofoletti ◽  
Milena Pavan Serafim

The economic and political changes in the world, from the 1970s, changed the political education of the Public Institutions of Higher Education in the world. The direction of these changes was clear: the university approachedthe market and the company and created interaction mechanisms that did not exist. The article therefore reviews the academic literature that interprets the relationship between university and market/company from two perspectives: approaches that positively position of interactions, exposing their motivations, interests and forms of interaction, especially the notions on Knowledge Economy and Entrepreneurial University; approaches that observe this interaction critically and reflectively, exposing the problems of interaction, its negative aspects and the reflection of the true role of the public university from the perspective of Academic Capitalism.


1997 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 164-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Shattock

The author examines the case of the University of Warwick and its institutional strategies for partnership with a variety of external organizations. He argues that universities need to change their missions, and to show strong leadership and an enterpreneurial approach to adapt to their local, national and international markets. In particular, the paper looks at the considerable success of the Warwick Manufacturing Group in developing training programmes and research in partnership with industry.


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