Why this study?

Background to the study

With Europe being threatened by increased global competition, ongoing economic issues and regions with high levels of unemployment, there is an urgent need to create a more sustainable, adaptable and responsive European market.

Through the creation of the Horizon 2020, the European Union’s (EU) growth strategy for this decade and the higher education modernisation agenda, Europe is embracing the need to create a more connected and functioning relationship between government, business and HEIs in order to increase employment, productivity and social cohesion.

Why care about University-Business Cooperation?

• University -Business Cooperation (UBC) is consider to be the engine towards knowledge-based societies and economies
• It is specially needed in the European context, threaten by increased global competition, with ongoing economic issues and high levels of unemployment.
• Horizon2020 embraces the need to create a more connected and functioning relationship between government, business and HEIs.
• Outcomes attributed to successful UBC include:
  • improving the competitiveness of business
  • increasing the relevance and innovativeness of research in HEIs,
  • increasing the relevance and innovativeness of research in HEIs,
  • creating jobs,
  • stimulating economic growth,
  • increasing living standards,
  • reducing of hindrances to good living.

Why this study?

A need exists for a holistic study on European UBC incorporating both the business and HEI perspectives. Despite the increase of HEIs involvement in practical knowledge generation, there is still little confirmation on the modes or extent of cooperation between HEI and business actors across Europe. Though many studies have been directed at understanding certain interactions between HEIs and business, still not much is known about wider UBC within a European context, particularly from the perspective of business.

• The understanding of UBC needs to be broadened and promoted,
• Greater understanding of the national UBC ecosystem is required,
• There are no review of UBC policies including European and national ones,
• There are no holistic studies on European UBC incorporating both the business and HEI perspectives,
• The information about UBC from the HEI perspective is scarce and mostly coming from the 2011 DG EAC study,
• The information about HEI from the business perspective is very limited
• The perspective of European SMEs, non-elite universities and social science and humanities needs more attention,
• Greater understanding is needed of the existence and use of UBC monitoring and measurement systems.