BUILDING UNIVERSITY-BUSINESS NETWORKS

Cooperation between universities and business units is conditioned on changeable relationship.It mirrors topics specific to the transit from an industry to a knowledge society. The goal of this relationship is to resolve business difficulties, establishment of new products or providing an drain for academic research, size up economical and social growth (European Commission, 2014). These days it is necessary to seek for new approaches of students engagement in entrepreneurial activities. In natural, health and engineering sciences, university-business collaboration is quite common practice, but in human sciences is university-business cooperation not so embedded.

Involvement in socio-economic development and commercialization of research results is on the increase. This trend is also called as “third university mission” (Study on University-Business Cooperation in the US, 2013). Forms of cooperation between universities and business units are diverse in the whole world. Current common practice is adaptation of university study programs to employers demands and reflecting their requirements. Long-lasting experiences from United States and Great Britain prove that the industry is main workhorse draging innovation and universities serve as a provider of elementary knowledge of scientific and technological ideas and principles (Borrell-Damian, Morais, Smith, 2014). The industrial sector is not self-supporting in all specializations and therefore needs to keep close contact with universities and other educational and research institutions.

One of the most essential reasons, which spoil cooperation between universities and enterprises, is linked to an information flow. Business units feel the lack of information about cooperation possibilities and alternatives. The explanation of this statement could be the fact that cooperation possibilities do not meet the need of the users. (University-Business Cooperation Tallin, 2011).

At Thomas Bata University in Zlín the stress is laid on connecting education system with practical training. This study inquires into state of university-business cooperation taking place at Thomas Bata University in Zlín. In 2014 in pursuance of current score monitoring in the university-business field was realized questionnaire survey among enterprises in Zlín region. The purpose of the survey was primarily implementing activities aimed at mapping, establishing and developing cooperation between companies, institutions and the Tomas Bata University in Zlín and its partners, and also increasing mutual awareness and enhance communication and cooperation between the application, public and academic sectors, getting new impetus, discovering possible barriers and potential for streamlining or strengthening existing cooperation and communication.