The OECD published a new report shedding light on new evidence and policy options arising from university-industry collaboration.
The effective use of research findings to innovate strengthens competitiveness and helps addressing socio-economical challenges in a knowledge-based society. A new report published by the OECD on 10 April 2019 thus analysed the impact and policy options arising from university-industry collaboration.
The study addresses challenges and opportunities in assessing the impact of university-industry collaboration on innovation, and presents new evidence on patenting and the generation of start-ups. It investigates factors such as geographical proximity between universities and industry with respect to their impact on local innovation and the contribution of specific research areas including social sciences to different industries. Considering the great variety of instruments used in OECD countries to stimulate innovation and science-industry knowledge transfer, the report presents a taxonomy of 21 policy instruments and their respective effects and impact, and compares case studies on start-up support from different countries.
The evidence presented in the report shows that higher education institutions and public research institutes increasingly engage in cooperation with industry and that graduate mobility in social sciences is a key contributor to innovation in sectors such as information and communication technology. The impact of new policy instruments for facilitating cooperation between universities and industry does not only rely on the features of the particular policy, but rather on the policy mix applied and the governance of public research. Details of key governance practices shaping science-industry knowledge transfer are listed on the new OECD Database on Governance of Public Research Policy. Based on the findings, the report gives recommendations for policy makers and research organizations and universities alike.