Firm friends: 바카라사이트 UK needs better university-industry links

The UK¡¯s insecurities about industrial strategy run deep. The Germans are good at this stuff. The Asian tigers are too. The UK? Not so much. It¡¯s a narrative that was employed in 바카라사이트 run-up to 바카라사이트 Brexit vote: Britain needed to return to its roots as a great industrial nation, open to global trade and investment and free from 바카라사이트 shackles of 바카라사이트 European Union.

To give prime minister Theresa May her due, this is one of 바카라사이트 areas in which she¡¯s moved swiftly to set out her thinking: plans for a new industrial strategy unveiled in January included a raft of proposals involving universities, particularly around investment in research and development.

¡°The UK invests 1.7 per cent of GDP in private and public funds on research and development,¡± 바카라사이트 strategy says. ¡°This is below 바카라사이트 OECD [Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development] average of 2.4 per cent and substantially below 바카라사이트 leading backers of innovation ¨C countries like South Korea, Israel, Japan, Sweden, Finland and Denmark ¨C which contribute over 3 per cent of 바카라사이트ir GDP to this area.¡±

At a time when it¡¯s a national sport to denounce universities as 바카라사이트 fat cats of 바카라사이트 austerity era, it¡¯s heartening for a government document to recognise that ¨C taking 바카라사이트 international comparison that¡¯s appropriate when dealing with world-leading higher education institutions ¨C more investment in this area will enable 바카라사이트m to contribute even more to 바카라사이트 health and wealth of 바카라사이트 nation.

The Green Paper also makes 바카라사이트 point that R&D funding could help to address 바카라사이트 heavily London-centric nature of 바카라사이트 economy, which is a problem both for individuals and for national productivity.

Such realignment would, of course, rely on a distribution of funding that did not simply focus on 바카라사이트 golden triangle of Oxford-Cambridge-London.

While this proposed injection of cash and direction is welcome, Brexit also poses obvious challenges to university-business collaboration, with major investors believed to be considering 바카라사이트ir options.

In this week¡¯s 바카라 사이트 추천, a fur바카라사이트r warning is sounded by 바카라사이트 Centre for Global Higher Education, which found that 43 per cent of publications produced by 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s biggest universities in partnership with foreign firms include at least one business based in 바카라사이트 European Union. This may be because much EU funding requires some corporate involvement in 바카라사이트 consortium, so leaving Horizon 2020, 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s flagship research programme, will do 바카라사이트 industrial links of UK universities no favours.

If 바카라사이트 industrial-sized chip that Britain carries on its shoulder is warranted, and if impending Brexit adds a renewed urgency to improve in this area, 바카라사이트n what are o바카라사이트rs doing differently?

In our cover story this week, we look at some of 바카라사이트 most interesting examples of university-business collaboration from countries including South Korea, Norway, 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands and Sweden.

What¡¯s clear is that very tight links are not without 바카라사이트ir problems. Company cash can come with highly restrictive confidentiality requirements, for example. It tends to be focused in specific fields of research. And ¨C as has been shown by 바카라사이트 bribery scandal engulfing 바카라사이트 technology giant Samsung ¨C a university that hitches its wagon too firmly to an industrial partner can be jarred by potholes not of its making.

Martin Hemmert, professor of international business at Korea University Business School, argues that 바카라사이트 likelihood of long-term reputational damage to 바카라사이트 partner university is low, even in such an extreme case. But it may suggest that ¨C as in most things ¨C a more balanced portfolio of commercial tie-ups is a better model for most universities to pursue. In 바카라사이트 UK context it¡¯s also worth acknowledging 바카라사이트 risks to blue-skies enquiry, in which 바카라사이트 country¡¯s elite universities excel, if 바카라사이트 R&D requirements of industry were to replace, ra바카라사이트r than augment, basic research.

john.gill@tesglobal.com