Title: New forms of strategic research collaboration between firms and universities in the German research system

Authors: Knut Koschatzky, Thomas Stahlecker

Addresses: Competence Center Policy and Regions, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, Breslauer Strasse 48, 76139 Karlsruhe, Germany. ' Competence Center Policy and Regions, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, Breslauer Strasse 48, 76139 Karlsruhe, Germany

Abstract: Due to the shorter life cycles of products and services, industrial research and development (R&D) has been carried out since the 1990s under the criterion of short-term utilisation. Since a few years, however, it can be observed that large enterprises in particular are trying to establish long-term oriented strategic R&D capacities in cooperation with universities. Based on role models like the university-industry research centres in the USA, centres of excellence or competence research centres, this paper focuses on recent developments in Germany in the field of new organisational modes of industrial-university research. It will analyse new public-private research partnerships between industry and universities in Germany and will address the question whether the new mode of collaboration between industry and universities will develop as a new element in the German research system.

Keywords: research cooperation; university-industry research centres; UIRC; public-private partnerships; PPP; technology transfer; triple-helix model; research collaboration; higher education; Germany; strategic R&D; research and development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTTC.2010.029427

International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation, 2010 Vol.9 No.1/2, pp.94 - 110

Published online: 30 Nov 2009 *

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