Realizing the Value of Industry-University Innovation Alliances

In response to increasing market pressures over the past decade, corporate expectations for measurable results from engagement with universities have climbed. The trend has developed away from one-off cooperation with individual researchers and toward sustained cross-institutional collaborations that produce research that is integrated into the full span of the corporate innovation process. This trend is most visible in the emergence of corporate innovation centers adjacent to major universities, such as Kendall Square in Cambridge and Tech Square in Atlanta. This shift has called for a rethinking of the balance between academic and corporate roles and practices in these relationships. We describe five key practices universities and corporate partners can implement to support successful, sustained industry-university innovation alliances, developed from Georgia Tech's experience in engaging with 25 corporate partners.