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Creating Value: University-Business Links in the UK: Boundary Spanning, Gatekeepers and the process of Knowledge Exchange. Philip Ternouth Associate Director. Understand Processes – not Transactions How interactions between business and universities arise What form they take
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Creating Value:University-Business Links in the UK: Boundary Spanning, Gatekeepers and the process of Knowledge Exchange Philip Ternouth Associate Director
Understand Processes – not Transactions How interactions between business and universities arise What form they take How they proceed and result in value creation How business evaluates and values the results Research Objectives
Selected Cases deemed successful by business Independent of KT “outreach” processes deliberately operated by universities Reflects the way successful cases actually developed Key Focus – Business Derived Data
Enables Access to/ identification of key personnel Elucidation of detail Semi structured approach Uncovering sequence of events Discovery of Dimensions of Variation Eg Value Chain Impacts Conceptualisation of Motives Range of company sizes / sectors Case Study Approach
Companies contributing cases 8 High Tech Manufacturing, 9 High Tech Services
Case Origins • Emergent Process influenced by • Prior History • Personal contacts • Co-creation / identification of Opportunities • Key role of “Gatekeepers” – Not Intermediaries (eg TTO’s) • Few cases identifiably direct result of Outreach Activities • c/f Co-creation of project concept • Business Motivations • “Unknown Unknowns” • Addressing Identified Strategic Issues • Problem solving
Partner “Selection” • Variability in Partner Selection • Existing Contact • Location of Key Academic • Eg using “codified knowledge” • Attendance at Conferences • Critical Mass of expertise • Co-selection with project opportunity • Key use identified of Codified Knowledge • Publications • Patents
Key Role of Gatekeepers • Interaction to • Identify opportunity • Together reposition academic knowledge against company specific issue. • Configure project • Ensure and implement arrangements for embedding • Important Characteristics • Detailed (tacit) knowledge of company culture, process and technologies (Company) • Detailed (tacit) knowledge of applicable research (University) • Key issue of “relevance” of knowledge • Mutual respect / recognition of alternative value systems • Willingness to explore opportunities
Importance of “Embedding” • An Active not Passive Process • Knowledge is “worked” by company staff • “Learning by Doing” • Creates “Know How” not just “Know What” • Creates an Intellectual Asset Useable by Company in Company Specific Context • Knowledge Transfer not Just Technology Transfer
Applied and Basic Research • False Dichotomy represented by “linear route to market” • Importance of “Pasteur’s Quadrant” • Importance of Company Strategy • Basic Research may be motivated by “Considerations of Use” • Application issues spark Basic Research • Applied Research Needs further localisation • Ignores “Scholarship” • Company Strategy – may include access to Basic Research findings
“Absorptive Capacity” of Company Key Dependence • Key Role of Gatekeeper in • Identification of Opportunity • Aligning Company Resources • Importance of Absorption/ Embedding / Diffusion • CONCEPTUAL ONLY – NEEDS FURTHER RESEARCH Lower High Highest Capability Development Research & Technology Development Problem Solving Strategic Shift Process Change
Implications for Business Recognition of Dependencies Value depends on demand / opportunity and capacity in business Importance of Gatekeeper Roles Stimulating Absorptive Capacity Public Procurement Range of Expectations Escalation in Policy Instruments Implications for Universities Develop Interactions not Transactions Identification of Opportunities “White Space” Expectation of Range of Impacts Aligning University Missions Importance of Metrics Common Agenda Implications for Policy • Implications for Intermediaries • Education and Development • Expectation of Outcomes • Range of Instruments
Philip Ternouth Associate Director R&D & Knowledge Transfer The Council for Industry and Higher Education cihe@cihe-uk.com www.cihe-uk.com