Abstract:

Collaboration between universities and industry has become increasingly important in recent decades, for both industry and universities themselves. As John Stuart Mill (1848) emphasized, it is very important to expose individuals to diverse perspectives and ways of thinking, stating that it is a fundamental driver of progress. This involves facilitating contact between people who may differ in their backgrounds, experiences, and thought processes, as well as exposing them to unfamiliar modes of thought and action. In the past, collaborations between universities and corporations were primarily aimed at enhancing a company's internal research and development. Consequently, such relationships were often informal and flexible, established based on personal connections between a representative from the corporation and one from the university, and had a focused outcome specific to the project. The aim of this article is to provide a systematic and descriptive analysis of the literature on this topic, with the goal of assessing current trends and challenges in university-industry collaboration. Our research focuses on literature published in the last twenty years and is based on a selection of relevant information sources. We used a systematic analysis method (MySlr software) to gather and analyze data, in order to identify the main thematic areas and most important issues that emerge in the literature. The results of our analysis indicate that collaboration between universities and industry is a continuously evolving research area, which has developed in various contexts and with different modes of interaction among the different actors involved. There are also some important challenges that need to be addressed, such as defining common objectives and managing conflicts of interest. In conclusion, our systematic and descriptive analysis of the literature suggests that university-industry collaboration is an area of great interest and importance, which requires further research and collaborative efforts to address the challenges that arise. This article contributes to the understanding of university-industry collaboration and provides a basis for future research and collaboration practices.

References:
[1] Mill, J. S. (1984). Essays on equality, law, and education.
[2] Polly, A. M. (2021). Toward Achieving the Energy Transition Through Corporate-University Partnerships (Doctoral dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
[3] Frølund, L., Murray, F., & Riedel, M. (2018). Developing successful strategic partnerships with universities. MIT Sloan management review, 59(2), 71-79.
[4] Perkmann, M., & Salter, A. (2012). How to create productive partnerships with universities. MIT Sloan Management Review.
[5] Fisher, M. J., & Marshall, A. P. (2009). Understanding descriptive statistics. Australian critical care, 22(2), 93-97.

Keywords:

University, Industry, Collaboration, Education.