How Industry Benefits from NSF's Engineering Research Centers

Research-intensive companies increasingly are forging collaborative relationships with universities as one means of leveraging their investments in R&D and gaining access to new ideas and good students. A survey of more than 500 companies participating in the National Science Foundation's u...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inResearch technology management Vol. 41; no. 5; pp. 40 - 44
Main Authors Roessner, David, Ailes, Catherine P., Feller, Irwin, Parker, Linda
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Arlington Taylor & Francis 01.09.1998
INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Advantages
Alliances
Business structures
Collaboration
Colleges & universities
Consumer goods industries
Engineering research
FEATURES
Industrial engineering
Industrial research
Information dissemination
Investment companies
Knowledge
Participation
R&D
Research & development
Research centers
Research facilities
Research universities
Statistical data
Students
Technology
Universities
University research
United States > US
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Summary:Research-intensive companies increasingly are forging collaborative relationships with universities as one means of leveraging their investments in R&D and gaining access to new ideas and good students. A survey of more than 500 companies participating in the National Science Foundation's university-based Engineering Research Centers (ERCs) Program reveals that knowledge exchange is at the heart of the ERC-industry partnership. Firms initially participate in ERCs for access to knowledge, and they report that the most frequently realized benefit of their participation is access to new ideas, know-how or technologies. On the other hand, the most highly valued outcome by far was the hiring of ERC students or graduates. A clear majority of firms experienced positive results, but to maximize the benefits of their participation in an ERC, substantial involvement of company staff in the partnership and long-term collaboration were required; in other words, a company got out what it put in.
ISSN:0895-6308
1930-0166
DOI:10.1080/08956308.1998.11671236