Strengthening University-Industry Interactions

摘要

Three broad approaches to strengthening university-industry interactions to promote industrial innovation are direct corporate funding of university research, cooperative (cost shared) research, and measures to enhance knowledge transfer and the exchange of people. Government actions that could encourage more direct corporate support of university research include clarifying antitrust guidelines for industrial consortia and providing tax credits or federal matching grants. Tax credits or matching grants usefully stimulate the industrial demand for R&D rather than the university supply, but there are no good estimates of their likely effects on total R&D spending or on the federal budget. Means to encourage industrial gifts or sharing arrangements that will upgrade university research equipment deserve particular attention. Strong university-industry links depend on the free flow of information, ideas, and people between the two sectors. Government actions may help these flows, but they also may hinder efforts to work out bilateral, mutually advantageous relationships. In many cases, the best government policy may be to step out of the way and let universities and firms negotiate their own arrangements.