Promoting Effective Modes of University-Industry Linkages and their Evolution for Economic Catch-up in Asia

Project funded under the Research on Knowledge Systems (RoKS) Competition 2006
“Developmental Universities: A Changing Role for Universities in the South”
by the Innovation, Technology, and Society (ITS) Program Initiative of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada.

There are diverse modes of university-industry linkages (UILs), and UILs in each country take a certain mode depending upon several country- or sector-specific factors and institutions. Those factors include:

• R&D and absorption capacity of firms.
• R&D and academic capacity of universities,
• R&D capacity of public research institutes,
• willingness or incentives for universities/PRIs,
• Sector-specific factors (sectoral innovation systems, technological regimes), and
• country- and region-specific factors (national and regional innovation systems).

First, we will describe the position of UILs in the twelve countries and how they evolved over time as a starting point to understand the role of universities for technological change in developing countries. Second, we will try to explain the reasons for the recent state of UILs and its evolution by examining several determinants. The determinants will be sought in terms of university, firm level, sectoral, and institutional factors. Third, we will explore the question of how UILs could be pursued to a larger extent and more efficiently in the whole economy and how to reach such improvements starting from the current position. A further aspect is the role of universities to initiate regional economic development in peripheral regions. We expect to draw lessons from the identified successes and failures for other developing countries.

During this research projects a similar methodology is applied in all countries which allows us to compare the results among the twelve participating countries from three continents, namely Thailand, China, India, Malaysia, and Korea in Asia, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Costa Rica in Latin America, and South Africa, Uganda, and Nigeria in Africa. We conduct interviews, case studies, quantitative and qualitative analysis using data from firm and university surveys.

Publikationen:

• Schiller, D.; Lee, K. (2015): Are University-Industry Linkages Meaningful for Catch-up? A Comparative Analysis of Five Asian Countries. Albuquerque, E.; Suzigan, W.; Kruss, G.; Lee, K. (Hrsg.): Developing National Systems of Innovation: University–Industry Interactions in the Global South. Cheltenham: Elgar. S. 55-92.
• Intarakumnerd, P.; Schiller, D. (2009): University-Industry Linkages in Thailand: Successes, Failures, and Lessons Learned for Other Developing Countries. Seoul Journal of Economics 22 (4): 551-589.
• Lee, K.; Joseph, K.J.; Eun, J.-H., Rasiah, R.; Intarakumnerd, P.; Schiller, D. et al. (2009): Promoting Effective Modes of University-Industry Interaction and their Evolution for Economic Catch-up in Asia. Final Research Report. Seoul: East Asia Institute.

Presentations to Scientific Audiences:

• Schiller, D.: University-industry linkages in Thailand: successes, failures and lessons learned for other developing countries. 7th Conference on University, Industry & Government Linkages (Triple Helix VII), 17.-19. Juni 2009, Glasgow.
• Schiller, D.: University-Industry Linkages in Thailand: Successes, Failures and Lessons Learned for other Developing Countries. GLOBELICS – 6th International Conference. 22.-24 September 2008. Mexiko-Stadt.