Benefits for researchers at public research institutions:

• Access to real data
• Boosting the impact of research results;
• Opportunity to utilise your expertise to solve real, tangible problems;
• Increased understanding of the needs of the business and the chance to identify new avenues for collaboration
• Increased employability of researchers beyond academia

In the case of the business partner:

• Access to unique expertise beyond its own resources
• Information on emerging, less codified trends in certain leading-edge fields
• Identifying further collaborations

• Largely dependent on existing funding programmes
• Co-funding is generally required from the side of the company
• IPR issues may need to be considered in case the collaboration leads to the commercialisation of R&D results. Actually, IP position should allow further academic and collaborative research, and avoid impeding the dissemination of the R&D results. The guidelines should be clear at an early stage, even before any commercialisation of R&D results is started.
• Measuring impact (e.g., co-authorships are likely to be under representative)

You can check some joint researcher funding programmes in

• The BRIDGES programme provides financial support for industry partnerships between public research institutions in Luxembourg and national or international companies.
• FUSION is funding programme of the Malta Government aimed at raising the level and profile of locally funded research; ingraining research and innovation at the heart of the Maltese economy; spurring knowledge-driven and value-added growth; and sustaining improvements in the quality of life.
• The Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) manages the Innovation Voucher, a funding instrument designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises in Austria to start ongoing research and innovation activities.

• Raise additional funding for research and spurring new start-ups.
• Greater interaction between public research and business in order to increase the social and private returns from public support to R&D.
• A key element to attract students, scientists and further research funding, in particular from the private sector and at international level.

• Academia needs to disseminate research outputs effectively (either to showcase possible inventions to transfer or to give visibility to research expertise suitable for contract or collaborative R&D)
• The active engagement of public research organisations in intellectual property (IP) management and knowledge transfer is essential. This includes challenges at several levels:
  • The promotion towards faculty and student research and IP ownership model: “professor’s privilege” (granting academics the right to own patents) vs institutional ownership (which should still include incentives to disclose, protect and exploit their inventions such as royalty sharing agreements or equity participation in academic start-ups)
  • Balancing IP protection with the need to maintain public access. Although quantitative studies tend to show that patenting has led universities to conduct more applied research. But by making university research more responsive to the economy, is there a danger that basic research will suffer?
  • Limited availability of technology transfer professionals. Need to generate targeted support for IP management at PRIs through funding, guidelines and skills training.
  • Improve the coherence of their respective ownership regimes as regards IP rights in such a way as to facilitate cross-border collaborations and knowledge transfer in the field of research and development.
• Building the required institutional capabilities at universities and public research centres is central to public efforts to commercialise public research. In this sense, many countries have supported the development technology transfer and licensing offices (TTOs/TLOs) within academic institutions. Make sure to liaise with such units.
• Incentives for the commercialisation of R&D are set at the institution level, but national guidelines can help bring about coherence and the sharing of good practices.
• The entrepreneurial options imply the adoption of mentoring and training for academic entrepreneurs, funding, spaces (e.g. incubators) and policies to promote venture and angel capital, government seed funds or platforms to link angel investors and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In parallel, there should be efforts for promoting entrepreneurship among the institutions staff and students.

EC Recommendations on the management of intellectual property in knowledge transfer activities and Code of Practice for universities and other public research organisations

WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) presentation on the different options to commercialise R&D

• Researchers can develop complementary skills and competences leading to improved employability and career prospects.
• Enhanced cooperation and development of collaborative networks.
• Boosting of R&I capacity among participating organisations
• Transfer of knowledge between sectors, disciplines or institutions.
• Brings prestige to granting organization (e.g., Royal Society Industrial Fellowships)

• Funding support.
• Being flexible in the eligibility criteria of possible funding schemes considering the different natures and needs of academic and business organizations.
• The need of commitment from hosting organization to maintain researcher during the period of time defined (e.g., difficult for SME’s with more financial restrictions).
• Deal with the absence of a researcher during the mobility.
• Recognition of mobility in the appraisal systems of academic institutions.
• Measurement of its impact in researcher’s’ career.

You can find useful information on temporary mobility in

MSCA Research and Innovation Staff Exchange

EURAXESS policy library on mobility

• High employability: although there is no guarantee of a job at the end of an industry-based PhD, the company has invested time and money in the researcher so he/she will be in a strong position when openings arise. Besides, doctoral candidates gain expert know-how in the private sector and learn how to succeed in a business environment. The relationships and experiences earned during an industrial PhD can also boost their employability.
• Bridging science in academia and industry: Universities can receive financial support from the companies involved. On the other hand companies are able to develop their human resources by training and supporting the next generation of researchers. They also enhance their competitiveness and innovation through knowledge transfer with universities and research institutions.
• PhD candidates can have higher salaries than regular PhD candidates in academia.
• Business host organization can increase its growth and patenting activity

• Getting industry involved due to a lack of flexibility in the schemes (e.g., for PhD candidates from outside academia having to balance business work obligations).
• Getting academia involved due to a lesser involvement in the the implementation of the scheme (E.g., due to the PhD doing most of the research in the business organization).
• Sustainability: giving continuity to the programme so that positions can be offered every year.
• Different priorities: there is a need to ensure that the award of a doctoral degree leads to the advancement of knowledge whereas the priorities of engaging intersectorally mobile researchers from an industry perspective include, among others, obtaining the necessary human resources and skills to solve problems, developing new products and processes and implementing existing solutions more efficiently.

There are different types of professional doctorates and in the absence of general regulation they have evolved differently in different countries. Find a review here.

There are no common rules at the European Union level regulating the matter and the wording ‘European Industrial Doctorate’ refers to a specific EU programme launched within the framework of the Marie Curie Action, which consists of a joint doctorate developed between an academic participant (university, research institution and so on) and a company established in two EU member states.

You can find an analysis of the Industrial PhD Programme in Denmark here. You can also download the report.

• Starting point for future academia-business collaborations (e.g., internships, industrial PhD programmes, etc.)
• Fostering a better understanding of careers
• Better informed researchers and industry
• Showcasing researcher career opportunities beyond academia
• Raise awareness on researchers’ employability

• Finding collaboration and interest from the industry side
• Larger research intensive enterprises most probably use their own recruitment channels
• Lack of knowledge from business employers about the employability potential of academic researchers
• Limited engagement between academic institutions and business employers
• Language barriers
• Different selection criteria for positions in academia vs positions in business

Examples of existing platforms where both academia and business organizations can publish job offers:

• Free of charge: EURAXESS Jobs
• For members: Fundación Universidad Empresa
• Fee-based: Nature Jobs

Benefits for academia:

• Gain up-to-date commercial insights that can inform other research and teaching.
• Improved links with the business community.
• Additional income to support future academic work.

Benefits for business:

• Access skills, expertise and equipment that are not available in-house.
• New perspectives on business challenges.
• Greater understanding of advances in research.
• Relationship building and networking opportunities.
• A range of consulting services coming from independent expertise.

Generally speaking, we could differentiate two models of consultancy:

1. Institutional consultancy: The consultancy that is negotiated by the university and where a member of staff engages with a client as an employee of the university, thereby benefiting from the full support of the university and its wholly owned subsidiary (if any).
2. Individual consultancy: The consultancy that is carried out by a member of staff as a result of his/her direct contact or negotiation with a client.

In both cases, the main barriers to overcome would be:

• Having a detailed and updated knowledge of the expertise housed in the academic institution.
• Support from business development team.

• Share the cost of the infrastructure among different partners
• Exploit an infrastructure to the fullest (making sure it is not underused)
• Stimulate researchers from the academic institution mingling with business organizations
• Facilitate joint research among academia and industry

On a very general level, we can compare two possible approaches:

Opening up “up and running” infrastructures to business

This could require

• Identifying the research infrastructures your institution has with an overview of the cost, users and current degree of exploitation.
• Giving the appropriate visibility to the infrastructure offered. This could be within the institution (e.g., institutional web), but also within a wider regional/national map (e.g., the Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructures in Spain, ICTS). Ideally, the promotion of available infrastructures should go beyond the usual suspects.

• Discussing with the managers of the infrastructure what the current access policies for business is (if any). Some possibilities include open public competitive calls for external users, bilateral collaboration agreements or simply a fee basis.
• Training for external users in order to use the infrastructure the appropriate way.

Building research infrastructures with business partners

When academia and industry interests meet, it can be interesting to work on building a joint co-shared infrastructure. CNRS has recently published a very comprehensive report describing structures as these.

• These collaborations are very structured, with very well defined boards and collaboration guidelines. A number of decisions need to be made: mission, funding, governance, ownership and exploitation of results, etc.

• Reinforcement of relations between industry and academia.
• Exposure of young researchers to other career options beyond academia.
• Better preparation of researchers for a labour market beyond academia.
• Establishment of professional networks in science.

• Defining the programme: Finding funding for this kind of events can be a problem, so a feasible option could be organizing single periodic thematic workshops so that logistics are reduced.
• Identifying individuals to share their experience: Searching among professors, researchers, or alumni networks can be a nice starting point.
• Identifying local industry interested in hiring researchers or highly skilled professionals: One of the key barriers identified for intersectoral mobility is based on cultural beliefs. Both, business employers and researchers tend to have stereotyped perceptions from the other (e.g., researchers assume that working outside the academia they will lose all of their research freedom, and business employers see academic researchers being too rigid and specialized in “their field”), so giving the opportunity to meet in person can help overcoming these prejudices.
• Promotion of the programme: Getting good speakers is a key but also attracting the correct public. Making a wide promotion and facilitating the attendance to the sessions will make the difference (accessible venues, non-working hours, etc.).

Although Internet and the rise of professional and social media platforms have facilitated the management of these networks, the key challenge of an alumni network is launching the initiative. This is what needs to be decided:

• Aims of the network: Try to focus on a few objectives that allow the network take off and wait for some of them to once you have proved the network is useful for your members (for instance, make sure the network is reliable and prestigious before trying to raise funds for your institution).
• Benefits and services offered to members. These can include:
  • Institutional services (e.g., access to scientific journals and access to their premises like the library, sports facilities, etc.).
  • Job posting (e.g., the possibility to post job offers directly or on their behalf)
  • Organizing networking activities within the institution’s to support for the event.
  • Webinars, for example on career development or other online services (e.g., applying for a specific funding programme). Most probably, your alumni will be spread throughout the country and beyond so it is wise to organize online activities.
  • Mentoring activities. The alumni network is a fantastic source to find mentors for your industry mentoring activities as many of your former students will be working outside academia.
• Defining the alumni network project by setting milestones and objectives:
  • How many members you are aiming at in the first year?
  • How fast you estimate you will grow?
  • Who is going to be in charge of invigorating and updating the network and with what kind of activities?
  • Are thematic or regional chapters needed?
  • How and when to collect feedback from network members?

• Estimated budget: There are many different options to create an alumni association and it will depend, among others, in the available budget. As a minimum requirement, you will need a responsible of the network within the institution that makes sure to have an updated network and that organizes some off-line and on-line activities with enough periodicity
• Supporting platforms: There are many ways to digitally support an alumni network. You can use ad-hoc platforms (with emailer services, etc.) in which you have a thorough control of the membership or you can use already existing professional networks (such as Linked-in) to create an alumni group
• Promotional campaign: When the network project is ready, make sure you design an attractive campaign to reach the sufficient critical mass to start organizing activities planned.

The MSCA alumni association is a good example of ex-grantees self-managing their own network. Among their objectives, to enhance the flow of knowledge across different countries, sectors of the economy, and scientific disciplines is one of them. Also, as mentioned before, they are using the network to support a recently launched mentoring programme.

Alumni Channel Blog: News, links, articles, trainings, etc. for alumni relations, coordinators and professionals