Abstract:

Universities’ response to external stakeholder influences in the increasingly competitive globalizing world of higher education are reflected in frequent changes to their business models over the last years. University business models evolved through a series of transitions to the content, structure and governance of universities’ activities. Numerous different business models have been developed: Research University, Entrepreneurial University, Developmental University, Innovative University, Global University, Virtual University, eUniversity, Digital University, Open University, Corporate University, University 2.0, University 3.0, University 4.0, Agile University, Creative University, Smart University, University of the future, etc. Choice of a particular business model is predominantly influenced by a university’s business strategy and its digital transformation strategy. Strategic mission, vision, goals and actions, as well as areas of transformation are of particular significance. However, it should be also said that the future of universities relies on how successfully they interact with their numerous and diverse external stakeholders. In the “clients” category of external stakeholders, industry partners hold the second place by significance, just after students. University-Industry links from the perspective of intensity of their interaction in building relationship and doing work are usually based on the C3 (Cooperation-Coordination-Collaboration) framework, where the lowest form of interaction is cooperation, followed by coordination, and collaboration as the most advanced one. Modeling a successful interaction with the industry represents a topic of widespread interest owing to substantial innovation and economic growth it had produced. To foster university-industry interaction, and hence the knowledge and technology transfer between these two parties, academics, companies, and especially politicians, are paying attention to science and technology policies more than ever. Definition and use of proper indicators for measuring university-industry collaboration are of particular significance.

Based on the systematic literature review of results of relevant academic research of university-industry collaboration types and possible indicators, the aim of the paper is to define different types of interaction between universities and companies (enterprises) and to describe the indicators for evaluating the collaboration activities. Three groups of indicators have been identified: input, output and impact indicators. With respect to the fact that input indicators measure only the intent of interaction and not the outcome of it, they are discussed in more broad terms in this paper. Significant attention was devoted to results of interaction between universities and industry, i.e., input and output indicators, which are more suited for evaluating the efficiency of their collaboration. The findings of the paper indicate the importance of diverse indicators and their usage to measure the inputs, outputs and impact of university-industry collaboration. In such way, both sides in the interaction may evaluate it and take necessary action in the endeavor of its continuous improvement.

Keywords:

University-industry, collaboration, performance, indicators.