How to work well with industry

Academia and industry need each other. Universities provide the blue-sky and applied research – and nurture the talent pool – that will shape the future, while industry partners, from manufacturing to the creative arts, help realise the economic and societal impact of knowledge and innovation. As government funding wanes and demand for graduates who are as agile as the sectors they will enter rises, universities are increasingly reliant on this symbiosis. Industry-university partnerships – whether project-based, spin-outs or place-based – anchor regional growth and have the power to address global challenges such as climate change and inequality. This collection offers advice from around the world on how to find the right industry partner, manage work-integrated learning and harness collaboration for mutual benefit.

How to choose the right industry partners

Developing long-term, successful industry partnerships starts by choosing the right one. Here’s how to do it

Andy Colley

Birkbeck, University of London

Sharing ideas across sectors and borders

In crucial fields such as semiconductors, universities can work with industry to streamline and accelerate progress. But knowledge exchange in one area can also provide a model for collaboration in other regions and disciplines, as these articles explain.

Connect and catalyse: international collaborations in the semiconductor field

Semiconductors are essential for modern electronic devices, AI hardware and economic efficiency and growth. How can we drive continued progress and innovation in this field? International collaborations are key, as Cindy Yi explains

Yang “Cindy” Yi

Virginia Tech

How knowledge-sharing is making Baja’s wine industry the ‘next Napa’

Diana Celaya Tentori discusses the huge benefits of knowledge-sharing in wine research that can be applied to every academic discipline

Diana Celaya Tentori

CETYS Universidad

Industry-university partnerships to support regional growth

Clusters that bring together business, higher education institutions and industry-based expertise can capitalise on a region or country’s strengths, laying fertile ground for enterprise, attracting talented students and faculty, and keeping them in place with career opportunities. The resulting economic growth and investment can bring far-reaching benefits to an area.

The power of partnerships in preventing regional talent drain

How one university collaborated with another institution and local employers to address region-specific skills gaps and retain graduates locally – plus advice for others looking to do the same

Hanna Hopkinson

Nottingham Trent University

How Indian universities can address the country’s talent crisis

Higher education’s role in preparing students for real-world jobs includes forging strong industry partnerships, establishing pathways into apprenticeships and fostering creativity

Raul Villamarin Rodriguez, Hemachandran K

Woxsen University

How students benefit from effective industry collaboration

Hands-on, real-world experience for students is just one of the benefits of industry-university partnerships. They can also provide insight from sector experts and prompt students to consider questions around ethics and responsible innovation, as these articles make clear.