Collaborative research on the up, finds report
Significant progress has been made in research collaboration since the launch of the Responsible Partnering Initiative, a set of guidelines to aid knowledge transfer between business, research organisations and universities and academia. This is the main conclusion from a joint report by stakeholders from industry and academia. Launched in 2004, the Responsible Partnering Initiative was developed by experienced practitioners of collaborative research from the European Industrial Research Management Association (EIRMA), the European Association of Research and Technology Organisations (EARTO), European Universities Association (EUA) and Knowledge Transfer Organisations (ProTon Europe). The initiative provides practical guidelines on creating lasting relationships between research actors, aligning interests, establishing clear intent, and achieving effective intellectual property. Through a web portal, stakeholders can go through the steps involved in establishing a partnership, from identifying common objectives and finding the right partner, to constructing agreements and running a project. The report, which is based on the findings of a recent conference, finds that, as a result of the Initiative, frameworks for collaboration have become richer, and now involve a greater diversity of organisations. Notable developments include the establishment of numerous new collaborative initiatives between universities, companies and research institutes and the presence of technology transfer schemes in universities. The concept developed in the initiative of 'open innovation'- whereby internal and external research resources are combined- is also being increasingly deployed in universities and industry. 'As institutions and companies develop the competencies to manage 'Open Innovation', the value of strategic long-term partnership and co-innovation based on trust and professionalism is widely recognised and more emphasis is being given to 'delivery and outcomes' rather than philosophical issues,' note the authors of the report. Meanwhile public policy discussions are generally no longer about 'should we be encouraging this approach, 'but rather 'how can we ensure that it functions effectively' and 'what evidence exists that the situation is working as well as desired?', finds the report. The challenge in Europe is to establish conditions which lead to a virtuous cycle of productive collaboration and on a sufficient scale. However, the report finds that some of the previously-identified barriers still exist. These include an incomplete process for establishing and implementing good practices and untapped opportunities for partnership and knowledge exchange. Other obstacles cited include a lack of government support for longer-term research and productive collaborations, and institutional management systems (as well as the mindsets that these systems can instil) that are unable to meet current demands. The report suggests that the Responsible Partnering Initiative could provide a sound basis for overcoming these barriers, provided it has sufficient visibility and adoption. The initiative could also provide a sound basis on which to develop government policy and guidelines. The report concludes by suggesting a revision of the initiative's handbook in order to clarify such grey areas as intellectual property practices and recent changes to the State Aid rules on research and development.