Strategic Par tnerships

wi th Indus t r y

UNIVERSITYINDUSTRYINNOVATION MAGAZINE

U I I N O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E M A R C H 2 0 2 1

Demys t i f y i ng Corpora t e Re l a t i ons i n H igher Educa t ion

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Weat her ing t he S to rm: Why Trus t ed, L ong -Te rm S t ra t eg i c Pa r t nersh ips a re Cruc i a l t o t he Fu tu re Succes s o f Un i ve rs i t i e s and Bus ines sp.10

One S ize Does No t F i t A l l – Sugges t ions f o r S t ra t eg i c Pa r t nersh ip

Frameworksp.18

Co-editors: Sarah Jaber & Balzhan Orazbayeva Designer: Elena Galán-Muros

Arianne Bijma

Aurélie Schick

Iris Vis

Irma Kleine

Jean Pembleton

Jenny Bäckstrand

Linda Bergqvist

Melodie Zöllner

Paul Fairburn

Sacha Patera

Sarah Jaber

Siobhan H. Dennis

Stefan Brolin

Wietske Degen

We thank ourcontributors:

Dear UIIM Reader,

The previous year brought around unprecedented challenges for the global economy, and higher education especially. For universities this has included dealing with campus and facility closures, loss of international students, transitioning to an online environment and a rapid evaluation of strategic priorities, to name a few.

Despite these challenges, this is also a unique opportunity to observe, reflect and learn from these unprecedented times to design and develop effective solutions for the future. For example, the recent challenges have highlighted the importance of universities, businesses, government and society to work together to address pressing issues and drive innovation. For universities particularly, there remains an untapped potential to create impact, and in collaboration with their stakeholders, provide solutions and offer invaluable insights. In light of this, now is a good time for universities and industry to re-evaluate their relationships and partnership approaches to derive the most value from strategic partnerships with each other.

In this issue of the University Industry Innovation Magazine, we take a closer look at strategic university-industry partnerships, featuring contributions from our guest authors across the UK, Switzerland, USA, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Our authors share their insights into the challenges and success factors of strategic partnerships through real-life examples from their own institutions and experiences. The articles clearly highlight there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to partnerships, nor is there a universal process for initiating, tracking, and managing partnerships – however, there are commonalities at the heart of most partnerships which are the importance of true collaborative work, the crucial role of intermediaries and support structures on both sides and aligning goals and expectations to ensure mutually beneficial outcomes.

We invite you to explore these in-depth and personal reflections on strategic partnerships, that draw on lived experiences, while also taking a forward-looking perspective on the future of university-industry collaboration. As the world continues to react to ever-changing circumstances, universities and companies that have built strong working relationships and partnerships will be better prepared to deal with whatever comes next.

While we are highlighting an overview of global initiatives and models, we would love to gain your perspective and experience on this subject and bring your ideas to our community. We kindly invite you to share your perspectives via our social media channels, or contact us through office@uiin.org.

We wish you a pleasant reading and many useful takeaways.

The editors,Sarah Jaber and Balzhan Orazbayeva

02 Solving Society’s Most Pressing Problems Through the Power of Partnership

06 How to Crack the Code of Collaboration

10 Weathering the Storm: Why Trusted, Long-Term Strategic Partnerships are Crucial to the Future Success of Universities and Business

U N L O C K I N G T H E S E C R E T S T O S U C C E S S F U L P A R T N E R S H I P S

U N I V E R S I T I E S D R I V I N G S T R A T E G I C P A R T N E R S H I P S

I N D U S T R Y P E R S P E C T I V E O N U N I V E R S I T Y R E L A T I O N S H I P S

14 Driving Strategic University-Industry Partnerships to Success – Rutgers University

18 One Size Does Not Fit All – Suggestions for Strategic Partnership Frameworks

22 University of Groningen: Industry Relations Facilitates Researchers in Building Partnerships

26 Demystifying Corporate Relations in Higher Education

Contents

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10

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34

14

T H O U G H T P I E C E

30 A Multi-Dimensional Future Looks Brighter

34 UIIN Strategic Partnerships Program

38 UIIN Business Group

U I I N S P O T L I G H T

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F r o m t h e i n t e r n e t t o s e a t b e l t s , u l t r a s o u n d s t o G a t o r a d e , t h e p i o n e e r i n g r e s e a r c h b e h i n d s c i e n t i f i c a n d t e c h n o l o g i c a l i n n o v a t i o n s w e n o w t a k e f o r g r a n t e d a l l c a m e a b o u t t h a n k s

t o b u s i n e s s a n d a c a d e m i a w o r k i n g t o g e t h e r.

M u c h o f t h i s w o r k , h o w e v e r, i s d o n e u n d e r t h e r a d a r. F o r t h e m o s t p a r t , t h e p u b l i c a r e u n a w a r e o f t h e t e c h n o l o g y t h a t d r i v e s t h e i r m o b i l e p h o n e o r h o w C OV I D c o n t a c t t r a c i n g w o r k s . S o m e o f t h e l e s s g l a m o r o u s w o r k d o n e i n l a b o r a t o r i e s c a n h a v e a m a j o r i m p a c t – L o g i t e c h a n d S o l a r

I m p u l s e a r e b o t h e x a m p l e s o f s u c c e s s f u l o u t c o m e s o f r e s e a r c h p a r t n e r s h i p s . ▶

Solving Society’s Most Pressing Problems

Through the Power of Partnership

A U R É L I E S C H I C K

S U C C E S S F U L P A R T N E R S H I P S

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AURÉLIE SCHICK is the Head of Communications at the Vice Presidency for Innovation, EPFL.

of luck comes into it,” he adds. “The Innovation Park increases the probability of game-changing ideas thanks to the high density of companies, start-ups, students, leading researchers and faculty members, all based at our cosmopolitan campus. You never know who you’ll meet in the cafeteria!”.

“Sharing this common space – with EPFL’s best-in-class facilities and inquisitive minds – sparks meaningful interactions and sapient innovation,” observes Claudiu Musat, Director of Research for Data & Site lead at Swisscom.

EPFL’s approach to strategic partnerships has been honed over the past 25 years and refined through numerous collaborations with industry. “Today, we have an 100% occupancy rate of some of the most exciting businesses and technology. Our rigorous selection process ensures we continue to work with organisations that share our ethos and passion for world-changing technology,” continues Dr. Matteini.

What’s next for business-academic partnerships? “We want to accelerate the journey from lab to market

for our industrial partners and so we’re developing

a one-year accelerator incubation programme for strategic partnerships that increase the efficiency of industry-academia interactions on all fronts,” explains Dr. Giezendanner-Thoben.  New industry partners will have the opportunity to join a new discovery programme – allowing them, over the course of a year, to quickly test the cutting-edge facilities, tools, and leading knowledge and expertise at EPFL. It’s hoped this will accelerate the creation of successful research partnerships.

We live in a new era. It is thanks to university-industry partnerships that we now have many of the vaccines that will prevent against COVID-19 and help end the pandemic. If industry really wants to solve the most pressing societal issues we face, it can only do so with established and strategic relationships with leading technical and scientific research universities. ■

IMAGE S CREDITS: EPFL

For over 30 years, EPFL has been a leader in innovation. In 1991, the first university business incubator in Europe, the EPFL Innovation Park, was founded right next door.

“Logitech shares its 40-year history with this prestigious institution – our global headquarters is here on campus and there’s a good reason for that,” explains Jean-Michel Chardon, Head of AI, CTO Office and site leader at Logitech. “We’ve grown this dynamic exchange that explores new techniques and technologies together – it’s been quite an exciting journey with EPFL.”

As a pioneer in transferring academic knowledge and research into industry, the university prides itself on developing strategic relationships with businesses who share their passion for technology that will change the way society works for the better.

“Grounding research in real data, which comes from real-world processes and customers creates better focus,” says Claudiu Musat, Director of Research for Data & Site leader at Swisscom – a company which has worked with academics at EPFL for more than 10 years. “With data we can concentrate not on possible problems, but on immediate, pressing ones.”

Today, EPFL’s Corporate Relations team continues to act as a bridge between academic research and industry. It is their job to ensure research breakthroughs make their way out of the labs and can make a real impact on people’s lives. But what are the reasons behind their success? And what lessons can be learnt?

An ecosystem of partnerships “Our approach to successfully transferring

technology and scientific knowledge to society is through an ecosystem of partnerships. We identify and nurture synergies and points of common interest. We act as a conduit - bringing ideas from our labs direct to industry and enabling industry challenges to be shared and solved in collaboration with our world-class academics,” explains Dr. Robert Giezendanner-Thoben, Head of Operations & Corporate Relations at EPFL’s Vice Presidency for Innovation. “At any one-time, we’ll be working with numerous players across our innovation ecosystem on diverse project from research collaborations to branding and visibility networking, to developing the next generation of start-ups.”

“The key to building successful long-term relationships with our industry partners has four elements,” continues Dr Giezendanner-Thoben. “Creating trust, alignment with our partners’ businesses strategies and objectives, well managed relationships, and a little dose of serendipity!”.

Four ingredients to a successful industry-academia partnership

For Dr. Giezendanner-Thoben, building trust between the institution and its partners is critical to success. “This trust takes time to build,” he explains. “Years, in some cases. Having a system to manage these relationships is key. Both partners need to understand the best way to work with each other and how to get the most out of the relationship.”

“One of the ingredients for building a mutually trusting relationship is having a common language,” agrees Dr. Michaël Themans, Richemont’s Group Research & Innovation Director. “We built this with EPFL thanks to the regular and varied communications channels, and a dedicated account manager.”

“For any successful partnership, there needs to be an alignment in purpose. The objectives and vision of each partner needs to be clear so we can ensure everyone’s working in the right direction,” adds Dr. Federico Matteini, Business Developer in the Corporate Relations.

Claudiu Musat from Swisscom agrees. “Prioritizing R&D investment can only succeed following a deep understanding of the options. The complementary experience of researchers and practitioners gives R&D initiatives the breadth they need to succeed.”

To facilitate these conversations, EPFL has put in place a series of steering committees which anchor industry partnerships at an executive and operational level. These governance boards ensure collaborations are aligned with each business’ objectives, as well as putting in place regular review and evolution where needed. Alongside this, is a dedicated account management service for each partnership. These specialists have extensive experience across different industry domains and at the same time are plugged into the heart of the EPFL ecosystem.

“Our account manager connects us with labs, EPFL initiatives such as sustainability or cybersecurity, and even start-ups that can contribute to our endeavours. They are our eyes and ears in a rich and diverse ecosystem of academics and start-ups,” says Jean-Michel Chardon from Logitech.

The institution has also developed bespoke tools to help identify potential collaboration opportunities and align them with existing and future business needs.

“Well-managed relationships are crucial,” explains Dr. Giezendanner-Thoben “Having regular, open conversations with our industry partners enables us to be nimble and quick to react, allowing us to take advantage of unexpected opportunities when they arise”.

“I think this is where serendipity and a little bit

How to Crack the Code of Collaboration

L I N D A B E R G Q V I S T , J E N N Y B Ä C K S T R A N D , S T E F A N B R O L I N

S u c c e s s f u l c o l l a b o r a t i o n b e t w e e n t h e a c a d e m y a n d t h e i n d u s t r y c a n n e v e r b e a l l o w e d t o b e a d e s k t o p p r o d u c t . I t h a s t o b e l i v e d a n d b r e a t h e d . We a r e h a p p y t o s h a r e s o m e

u s e f u l e x p e r i e n c e s! ▶

S U C C E S S F U L P A R T N E R S H I P S

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LINDA BERGQVIST is the External Relations Manager, School of Engineering, Jönköping University.JENNY BÄCKSTRAND is the Director of Graduate School Industrial Product Realisation, School of Engineering, Jönköping University.STEFAN BROLIN is a Project Manager, External Relations, School of Engineering, Jönköping University.

Strengthening the competitiveness of the region New knowledge is a prerequisite for the region’s

development and competitiveness. The beating heart of our collaboration with the industry is our research and education environment SPARK, focusing on knowledge intensive product realization.

“Our companies face a situation where you have to strengthen your product- and process development. SPARK’s research environment offers solutions to these challenges and therefore it was a natural step for us to start collaborating. As a Strategic Partner Träcentrum acts as an important bridge between the academy and the industry”, says Joakim Brobäck CEO of Träcentrum and representing 400 companies within the Swedish wood industry.

All activities are performed to meet the needs of regional and national companies with the aim to provide applied solutions. Co-production and collaboration are hence core competences within SPARK.

”Together with the other strategic partners we get the possibility to co-operate and identify areas where we can do things better together. With SPARK we gather input and receive help and support on how we should manage the development of our company”, comments Emma Hallman, Industrialisation Manager at Fagerhult.

The road to success How did you succeed? That is the question we get

asked a lot. The answer is hidden in our unique history. The School of Engineering was created by the initiative of regional enterprises to meet their strong demand for educated engineers. Taking an active part in the school’s education and research has been a matter of course to our partner companies from day one.

In practice, we are conscious to keep our collaboration processes decentralized.

In order to support staff, faculty and students in collaboration matters we have formed an External Relations Council with representatives from all departments. The members of the council are networking intensively to create new contacts with enterprises and to maintain relations with existing partners. By summarizing all the interactions carried out by our co-workers and by exchanging insights the council can find opportunities for us to act as boundary spanners and to help companies with the right kind of competence. The External Relations Council also holds the credit for identifying our strategic partners. Our centralized external relations team, consisting of three co-workers, thus works as enablers, as a point of contact and to visualize, emphasize and clarify the benefit of mutual collaboration.

To us, collaboration is not a desktop product, it is lived and breathed. We strongly believe that that cutting-edge education has to be based on research, requiring us to build research competence with focus on applicability and usefulness. ■

IMAGES CREDITS: Jönköping University

Strategic partnerships – not only with large companies

The School of Engineering at Jönköping University is one of Sweden’s leading educators of university engineers. Our vision is to develop and spread new technology and knowledge that reinforce the international competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises. We are also internationally recognized for our successful collaboration with the Swedish industry. Even in 2020, when most face-to-face meeting were cancelled due to the pandemic, our staff, faculty, and students interacted with more than 500 unique companies who have chosen to collaborate with us. A handful of these have signed up as long-term commitment strategic partners that support us in developing education and research that is relevant in increasing the region’s competitiveness. Among them are strong Swedish brands like Husqvarna, Fagerhult, Saab Avionics Systems and Scania CV AB.

“We are proud to be a strategic partner. It gives us the chance to actively profile our company to motivated students who are aiming at future opportunities in the global vehicle industry”, says Roger Blezell who is Site Manager at Scania CV AB.

As our region is characterized by a majority of small and medium-sized companies we have also established

a structured partnership with nodes that represent a number of these associated with an industry, a specific technology or geographically.

Benefits of research and education in collaboration

Our deep connection to the industry is beneficial in many ways. By involving real issues, practical knowledge, and a cross-functional approach in education our students are better prepared for employment, whether with large companies communicating across silos or in small businesses where they can take on wider responsibilities.

In research, most of our projects are carried out as collaborative research where companies participate and contribute all the way from formulating the research question through dissemination of results. Apart from ensuring relevance and managerial impact, this aids the researcher in data collection as well as in testing.

For the companies participating and contributing to research and education the interaction with students and researchers inspires competence development, increase of skills, life-long learning and ensure growth.

“It is a win-win-win,” concludes Dean Ingrid Wadskog.

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Weathering the StormWhy Trusted, Long-Term Strategic

Partnerships are Crucial to the Future Success of Universities and Business

P A U L F A I R B U R N

S U C C E S S F U L P A R T N E R S H I P S

A fragile economySharp rises in public and corporate debt, increases in unemployment, signs of weaker world trade growth, and reduced investment perfectly illustrates the global economy's current fragility caused by the coronavirus pandemic. This is coupled with the pace of automation and digital transformation, traditional business model disruption/innovation, the increasing power of social media, consumers (and data), and the renewed political focus on environmental impact. More than ever before, all business organisations are required to respond to rapidly changing markets to remain competitive whilst protecting their bottom line.

Similar COVID-19 impacts can be seen within the higher education sector, with increased global competition for international students, acceleration of the digital learning revolution, pressure on tuition fees, the disruption to research activity, and access to other university funding sources. Universities are also facing demands to scale-up the impact of their research, demonstrate the relevance of teaching and learning methods, and increase student employability. Internal resources continue to be challenged due to a focus on many critical (and highly important) issues such as student wellbeing, equality, diversity, inclusivity, and

the rising demands of students/learners as consumers.

The ability of businesses and universities to innovate, adapt, and diversify income sources is therefore more important than ever, and a driving reason to build trusted, strategic partnerships that are crucial to future success.

Partnership benefits & challenges The benefits of university-business collaboration are well documented. For higher education institutions, there is the opportunity to advance the teaching and learning agenda, gain current knowledge, enhance student employability, and enable research to deliver economic, social, and cultural impact. This can be seen at Coventry University with the Centre for Advanced Low Carbon Propulsion Systems, a partnership with the FEV Group - looking to harness academic and commercial expertise to support the development of the next generation of electric, hybrid and combustion engines.

Business partnerships also allow universities to access new markets and secure new funding. Business benefits include access to future talent, individual skills development and organisational capacity building,

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PAUL FAIRBURN is the Director of Innovation Ecosystem at Coventry University.

access to finance/investment, knowledge acquisition, and the creation of new IP – supporting increased productivity and growth through the development of new, innovative products and services. An example of these benefits can be demonstrated by the relationship with Unipart Manufacturing Group in the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering. Here businesses have access to industry-ready engineering graduates, cutting edge research on new technologies, and knowledge exchange to drive growth in key global markets.

For partnerships to be genuinely strategic from the outset, developing a shared vision, mission, and a jointly agreed strategy are essential. It must be a mutually beneficial relationship, with the right balance of commercial and reputational returns for both parties. Time must be taken to build trust and establish the relationship through a range of shared activities, not all of which will be successful. The partnership must recognise and adapt to the inevitable differences in organisational culture (behaviours, values, priorities, agendas, language, and pace), and be in constant dialogue. One of the most powerful measures of any partnership's strength is the ability to pick up the phone and resolve complex issues and differences of opinion through open discussion.

For Coventry University, all of the above is perhaps best illustrated by the long-term partnership with HORIBA MIRA, the Centre for Connected & Autonomous Automotive Research, and the MIRA Technology Institute. One is a world-class environment to simulate, test and evaluate the security and safety of Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAV), and the other a global centre for developing specialist skills in emerging automotive technologies.

Key ingredients for success Other critical ingredients for success include transparent, collaborative working practices (across a diverse range of activities), strong governance and leadership, defined outputs/KPIs, and positive engagement with staff and stakeholders at all levels within the organisation (who understand the benefits of the relationship). The partnership must also be able to acknowledge and react to constant market changes. For example, geographical proximity and/or physical co-location of operations have often been a crucial factor. However, if the travel and work restrictions of the last year have taught us anything, partnerships will need to be creative in finding new ways of working in the future. Equally, the importance of developing different relationships with channel partners and integrators cannot be underestimated – both in terms of access to new markets, and the opportunity to scale and grow the level of commercial activity to generate a substantial return for all parties.

Coventry UniversityCoventry University is one of the leading, modern, entrepreneurial higher education institutions in the UK - based in an industrial region, with a longstanding reputation for enterprise and working with businesses. The University is active in multiple global markets, with established international hubs in Brussels, Dubai, and Singapore. In terms of R&D and consultancy, specific strengths include manufacturing, automotive, healthcare, and the creative industries, with a skills and capacity building focus on public sector leadership & management, digital transformation, data science & AI. In addition to the above examples, by supporting a portfolio of diverse and interesting strategic partnerships (including Vodafone, Highways England, KPMG, EY UK and local government organisations), Coventry University is well prepared for the challenges ahead. The importance (and significance) of our relationships with these trusted partners will not be underestimated. To weather the current storm and future economic challenges, this is a critical consideration for all higher education institutions looking to develop, grow, and consolidate their future. ■

IMAGES CREDITS: Coventry University

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Driving Strategic University-

Industry Partnerships to

Success –Rutgers University

S A C H A P A T E R A

D R I V I N G P A R T N E R S H I P S

W h e n t h i n k i n g a b o u t s t r a t e g i c u n i v e r s i t y - i n d u s t r y ( U - I ) p a r t n e r s h i p s , I o f t e n r e f l e c t o n t h e m e a n i n g s o f t h e w o r d s ‘ p a r t n e r s’ a n d ‘ s t r a t e g y’ – b e c a u s e t h e y u n d e r s c o r e t h e s c o p e o f d e v e l o p i n g , b u i l d i n g , a n d

s u s t a i n i n g l o n g - t e r m r e l a t i o n s h i p s b e t w e e n a u n i v e r s i t y a n d a c o m p a n y . ▶

for consumer health research and analytics, the alliance has evolved into a comprehensive relationship heavily informed by a shared strategic vision of collaborations on research and innovation. Specific outcomes have included an increase in sponsored projects, the establishment of a pipeline of graduate students with industry experience from which the company can recruit, easy access to specialized research facilities, and co-development of specialized courses to upskill the company’s workforce. The alliance has facilitated the communication and flow of information between the company and Rutgers, increased the participation in academic courses by company volunteers who provide real-world project applications, and increased company philanthropic support for university programs. The success of the current alliance is a direct result of a dedicated “alliance operations” team composed of Rutgers and company employees (and Rutgers alumni) who are focused on delivering on the partnership’s value proposition.

The second partnership also involves a NYC-headquartered major company in the pharmaceutical industry employing more than 1,500 Rutgers alumni. Given the number of alumni and proximity, the ties between the two organizations are extremely intertwined. Until very recently, the relationships were underleveraged, the connections siloed, poorly coordinated and operating inefficiently on an “as needed” basis. The pivotal moment for this partnership came when the company CEO articulated a desire to create a deliberate relationship with Rutgers while, simultaneously, the Rutgers Alumni Association and the Rutgers Corporate Engagement Center were already making headway to establish a cohort of company alumni (known as AWE) tasked with streamlining engagement and connections between the university and the company. Within six months and with much dedication, the collective U-I team emerged as champions for the partnership.

Unimpeded by the COVID-19 pandemic, the team has created engagement opportunities, well-attended virtual company-university events, recruited company executives to the cohort, established a rudimentary framework for governance of the alliance, and is beginning to identify activities and initiatives that align with the priorities of both organizations. Some of the activities include interactions with students, providing financial support for students from underprivileged backgrounds struggling to succeed during the pandemic, COVID-19-related research collaborations, and unifying on issues of public health and social justice. The U-I alliance team anticipates articulating a common vision for the partnership in the coming year. Though still in its early days, the alliance proposition is already seen as a win-win.

Establishing the Rutgers Corporate Engagement

Center, responsible for driving the development of strategic U-I partnerships at the university, was the first step towards fully exploring the possibilities and maximizing the potential of such partnerships. With each new partnership, Rutgers becomes more adept and agile at developing strategies that would build mutually beneficial long-term corporate relationships. ■

IMAGES CREDITS: Rutgers University

Good partners are engaged and committed to shared activities, interests, values, and investments. The wins are shared as are the losses, but the goal is for both partners to mutually succeed. A strategy is a plan of action designed to achieve long-term goals and interests with a carefully defined roadmap that describes how to get there through shared investment of resources.

From my vantage point, a university-industry (U-I) partnership is strategic with the following factors:

• an explicitly expressed understanding of the shared values and goals;

• a shared investment of time and resources; and • designated points-of-contact at the company

and university who are committed to implementing a plan of action and sustaining the partnership for the long-term.

Though a strategic partnership may be multi-faceted or narrowly defined, the action plan should be regularly revisited and adjusted, as necessary. In a U-I partnership, the action plan will likely consist of any number of the following areas of interest: collaboration on projects, research expertise, licensing of intellectual property, recruitment of student talent, company participation, and targeted philanthropy and sponsorships.

Delivering on promised activities requires great collaborations among internal stakeholders, yet this is likely more challenging at universities because they are not typically governed from the top-down in the same way a company might be. Therefore, investing in the development of an internal network of university stakeholders to build strategic U-I partnerships requires dedicated effort to be successful.

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey is fortunate to be uniquely situated in a state that is considered the most densely populated, home to many major pharmaceutical and chemical companies, and consistently ranked among the Top 10 most educated states in the country. Rutgers also stands among America’s highest-ranked, most diverse public research universities, and is the oldest, largest (with 71,000+ students), and top-ranked public university in the New York/New Jersey metro area. This context is relevant to the strategic relationships that the university builds.

With this background, I share two examples of successful strategic partnerships at Rutgers: one that is well-defined and several years along and another long-term partner that is currently transforming into a deliberate and strategic partnership.

The first is a partnership established through an alliance agreement in 2014 with the R&D group of a leading global consumer products company headquartered in New York City. Originally established to facilitate research, clinical trials and service agreements

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SACHA PATERA PhD, is the Associate Vice President, Rutgers University Corporate Engagement Center.

One Size Does Not Fit AllSuggestions for Strategic Partnership

Frameworks

S I O B H A N H D E N N I S

I w o r k i n t h e B u s i n e s s P a r t n e r s h i p s O f f i c e f o r O x f o r d U n i v e r s i t y’s M e d i c a l S c i e n c e s D i v i s i o n a n d t h e t e a m t h i n k s o f i t s e l f a s a g r o u p o f s u p p e r - c o n n e c t o r s a n d w h i l s t t h i s i s f a r f r o m a l l w e d o i t i s n o n e t h e l e s s a n i m p o r t a n t a s p e c t o f o u r r o l e .

S t a r t s m a l l , d e v e l o p t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p , f i n d c o m m o n i n t e r e s t s , a n d t h e n g r o w i n t o s o m e t h i n g s t r a t e g i c . A s s u m i n g a l l h a s s t a r t e d w e l l , w h a t n e x t? E v e r y i n t e r a c t i o n i s d i f f e r e n t , t h e w a n t s a n d n e e d s o f e a c h p a r t n e r a r e n u a n c e d , w h i c h m a k e s t h e a p p r o a c h t o u n i v e r s i t y - i n d u s t r y ( U I ) p a r t n e r i n g a c r e a t i v e p r o c e s s . W h i l s t I w o u l d e n c o u r a g e e v e r y r e a d e r e m b a r k i n g o n a n e w U I S t r a t e g i c P a r t n e r s h i p t o t h i n k a b o u t w h a t e a c h p a r t n e r, w a n t s , n e e d s , a n d c o u l d s e n s i b l y a c c o m p l i s h I w o u l d l i k e t o s u g g e s t s o m e i n t e r e s t i n g a c t i v i t i e s t h a t c o u l d m a k e u p a S t r a t e g i c P a r t n e r s h i p . ▶

D R I V I N G P A R T N E R S H I P S

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SIOBHAN H. DENNIS is a Business Partnerships Manager in the Medical Sciences Division at the University of Oxford.

Governance Governance is an important aspect of successful

strategic partnerships as they do not run themselves. Governance structures benefit from joint membership containing representatives from both partners. Senior leaders with the influence to bring people together and the willingness to embark on new innovative models and are forward thinking work well. Strategic Partnerships are well placed and are at a suitable scale to tackle large challenges. This requires diversity in academic skills and thus senior leaders good at collaborating across departments are an asset. Up and coming junior academics are worthy additions to any governance team; not only do they bring fresh ideas, but it is an important opportunity to develop internal talent. Having a VP of innovation or Deputy HOD for innovation can provide clear senior leadership. However, senior leadership of this calibre often have limited time and thus meet infrequently and therefore rely on a jointly formed operational team to make their ideas a reality.

Operational team members vary according to institutional organisation, but alliance/business/project managers are particularly effective where their goal is solely to bridge the UI gap. Other than the scientific research, the operational team often do just about everything else. They navigate internal processes and connect legal teams, finance teams, facilitators, academics, students, licensing teams, compliance, HR, and comms. Behind the scenes they advise, shape events and new activities as well as tread the careful political landscape and negotiate and resolve any arising issues. I cannot emphasise how important it is to have the correct people from both partners in an operational team. Operational support members should have the ears of the senior leaders but be happy talking to scientists and support teams alike. A team dedicated to Strategic Industry Partnerships helps to open the door to external partners and works towards a unified front across a University's Industry engagement Strategy. At Oxford University we have seen operation teams work to align costing and contracting terms to enable clarity and reduce repeated contract negotiations. Acting as one entity can be extremely challenging, especially at institutions that are large, old, and diverse in research areas, such as Oxford. Differing approaches to partnerships across an institute can result in tension and lack of trust, however unintentional this may be.

Pump Priming For industry partners interested in scientific

outcomes (rather than recruitment, for example) a great way to kick off a Strategic Partnership is with Pump Priming funded collaborations. Pump Priming projects are small 6–12-month projects with a clear path to translation. These small, low-risk projects are great for developing a UI network and to see if a project is viable. Essentially, they also allow time for relationships to develop before embarking on bigger opportunities.

These opportunities offer a clear way for academics to engage and open the doors to any new partner whilst communicating the company’s areas of interest. At Oxford, some of our external partners highly value the new network of academic interactions these Pump Priming funded projects bring.

Industry-sponsored Fellowship Programmes Industry partners interested in talent development

and recruitment are often particularly keen to sponsor Ph.D. students. Industry partners have been sponsoring Ph.D. students for some time, this is not a particularly new idea and works well for many partners. However, it can be cumbersome to navigate University's different studentship schemes and all IP from student projects is often (in the UK at least & quite rightly) owned by the University. At Oxford University it has been particularly successful to set up Industry-sponsored fellowship schemes. Fellows are more experienced than Ph.D. students and can align their research towards translational outputs. Talent development is still important, and several of Oxford's highly talented postdoctoral fellows have subsequently transitioned to roles in their corresponding industry sponsors. The Oxford-BMS Translational Fellowship Program has supported 28 Fellowships since 2015 and benefits from being a part of Oxfords Industry Fellows and Postdoc Network providing workshops, career development and networking opportunities.

Co-location For partners that want to take the next step, immers-

ing into the university's ecosystem by co-location can act to further cement an existing partnership. The Uni-versity of Oxford has a long-standing relationship with Novo Nordisk extending over 20 years with a successful postdoctoral fellowship program which has had an in-take of 27 fellows since 2013. To take the next step in the partnership Novo Nordisk was welcomed on to Oxford University’s Old Road Campus 4 years ago and are now established in their own research centre with over 45 scientists working on novel, game-changing ideas that potentially can lead to new therapies for cardiometabol-ic diseases. The Novo Nordisk Research Centre Oxford is located in the heart of the Medical Sciences research campus alongside two hospitals and engages with aca-demics across the entire University at all levels. Novo Nordisk scientists at the new co-located site are joint Principal Investigators for research collaborations and they engage with the fellows in the Fellowship Program, Doctoral training centres, and run Pump Priming pro-jects as well as large scale themed multi-project part-nerships. Co-location makes all these interactions and opportunities far easier, increasing engagement and adding value to the partnership. Co-location requires planning and forethought, especially as Universities are not traditionally set up to engage at this level and addi-tional comms are required to manage academics’ ques-tion. A way to transition towards a permanent physical

endeavour would be to start by enabling visiting indus-try Professors and visiting industry Fellows to spend time at the partner institute.

These are some examples of the ways in which Ox-ford has worked to structure long-term strategic part-nerships, but one size does not fit all. The creative spirit in me hopes that in another 5 years these approaches will look different, further refined, and able to adapt to changing needs. Ultimately, whatever form the Strategic Partnership takes, the key is to feel like partners. Simply by developing a great network it is hoped our industry partners will benefit from being one of the first to hear about new University initiatives and new opportunities, such as leverage of external funding. ■

I would like to invite readers to reach out to myself on any topics covered in this article. Meaningful networking is perhaps one of the most useful soft skills in university-industry interactions, I would love to hear your challenges and successes – in these pandemic times my virtual door is always open for coffee.

IMAGES CREDITS: University of Oxford.

22

University of Groningen: Industry Relations Facilitates

Researchers in Building Partnerships

I R M A K L E I N E

The University of Groningen initiated Industry Relations in 2016: a team that facilitates building sustainable partnerships between researchers and external parties. Five years later, it’s time to take stock. In an interview with two members of the team, Dean Iris Vis and Coordinator Wietske Degen, both reflect about their experiences and how far the team has come.

‘Sometimes it also was pioneers’ work’. ▶

D R I V I N G P A R T N E R S H I P S

IRMA KLEINE (interviewer) is freelance communica-tions officer at Industry Relations.

Why did the Univers i t y of Groningen in i t ia te the team of Indus t r y Rela t ions?

I r i s Vi s : T he Un i ve r s it y h a s a l on g t r a d it i on of c ol l a b or at i n g w it h e x te r n a l p a r t ne r s, b ut w a nte d to s t r e n g t he n a nd d e ve l op t ho s e r e l at i on s h ip s e ve n mor e . To fo s te r t h i s a m b it i on, t he B o a r d of t he Un i ve r s it y i n it i ate d I ndu s t r y Re l at i on s : a c e nt r a l te a m t h at c ont r i b ute s to b u i l d i n g s u s t a i n a bl e p a r t ne r s h ip s for k nowl e d ge c o - c r e at i on a nd e c o s y s te m s . We f u l f i l t he r ol e of ac c e l e r ator du r i n g t h i s p r o c e s s .

What does that mean? Wie t s k e D e g e n : We d e ve l op c ol l a b or at i on s

b e t we e n t he Un i ve r s it y of Gr o n i n ge n a nd o t he r p a r t i e s, s uc h a s c omp a n i e s, non-p r of it a nd gove r n me nt a l or ga n i s at i on s a nd k nowl e d ge i n s t it ut i on s . It of te n s t a r t s w it h a q u e s t i on or a top i c a l t he me . Ta k e t he c i r c u l a r e c onomy. O u r ap p r o ac h c r o s s e s t he b o u nd a r i e s of s e ve r a l d i s c ipl i ne s : wh i c h r e s e a r c he r s at t he Un i ve r s it y a r e a l r e a dy work i n g on t h i s t he me? We p r ov i d e t he m t he op p or t u n it y to ge t to k now e x te r n a l p a r t i e s, on t he b a s i s of t he i r i nd i v i du a l a r e a s of e x p e r t i s e . I nte r n a l a nd e x te r n a l p a r t ne r s c a n t he n for mu l ate a j oi nt a m b it i o n .

What happens nex t? I r i s Vi s : ‘ T he ne x t s te p i s for i nte r e s te d

s t a k e hol d e r s to t r a n s l ate t h i s a m b it i on i nto a l on g-te r m p a r t ne r s h ip p r o g r a m me w it h b u i l d i n g bl o c k s i n r e s e a r c h, e duc at i on, t a l e nt d e ve l op me nt or s o c i e t a l i mp ac t . E x a mpl e s i nc l u d e f u nd a me nt a l m i s s i on- d r i ve n r e s e a r c h, t r a n s l at i n g k nowl e d ge i nto a p r o duc t or s e r v i c e, or c r e at i n g a n e c o s y s te m a r o u nd a c u r r e nt t he me . We p r ov i d e he lp whe r e ve r it i s ne e d e d . T he ‘No o r d e n D i g it a a l’ e c o s y s t e m, d e s i g ne d to r e i n for c e t he i n nov at i ve c ap ac it y of t he Nor t he r n N e t he rl a nd s, i s a go o d e x a mpl e . I ndu s t r y Re l at i o n s w a s c l o s e l y i nvol ve d i n s e t t i n g up t h i s ne t work .’

Do you form a br idge between in ternal and ex ternal par t ies?

I r i s Vi s : Ye s, f r om t he r e s e a r c he r s to t he o ut s i d e worl d a nd v i c e ve r s a . We a r e of te n t he f i r s t p oi nt of c ont ac t , b ut we a l s o d r i ve t he p r o c e s s b y or ga n i s i n g ac t i v it i e s r e l ate d to d e ve l op me nt s i n s o c i e t y. For e x a mpl e, we or ga n i s e (on l i ne) Me e t & Gr e e t s, w it h up to 20 0 p a r t i c ip a nt s, a nd we p ut ne t work or ga n i s at i on s i n to uc h w it h e ac h o t he r. T h i s i s r e f l e c te d i n o u r te a m’s i mp or t a nt t he me s, s uc h a s t he c i r c u l a r e c onomy, s m a r t mo b i l it y a nd d i g it a l b u s i ne s s - a l l h ave t he i r ow n p r o g r a m me m a n a ge r.

Wi e t s k e D e g e n : We a l s o a dv i s e r e s e a r c he r s, r e s e a r c h c e nt r e s a nd te ac h i n g p r o g r a m me s a b o ut t he b e s t w ay to s e t up a nd op e r ate t he i r p a r t ne r s h ip s; a f te r a l l , p a r t ne r s don’t ne c e s s a r i l y s p e a k e ac h o t he r 's l a n g u a ge . I n a d d it i on, we s e e it a s o u r j o b to r a i s e t he p r of i l e of r e s e a r c h p r oj e c t s a nd p a r t ne r s h ip s . We h ave p u bl i s he d v a r i o u s p or t fol i o b o ok s a b o ut c ol l a b or at i on, for e x a mpl e, on t he me s i nc l u d i n g t he c i r c u l a r e c onomy a nd d i g it a l s o c i e t y. We a l s o m a k e vl o g s a nd bl o g s a b o ut r e s e a r c h p r oj e c t s .

Can you give examples of some of the par tnerships you’ve ac t ivated?

I r i s Vi s : T he r e a r e m a ny, f r om s m a l l to l a r ge - s c a l e . A p a r t i c u l a r e x a mpl e i s t he Sm a r t Mo b i l it y I n nov at i on A ge nd a i nvol v i n g 40 Un i ve r s it y of Gr on i n ge n r e s e a r c he r s f r o m 9 f ac u lt i e s, b r o u g ht to ge t he r b y I n du s t r y Re l at i on s . L e a d i n g on f r om t h i s, we he lp e d to s e t up t he r e g i on a l f i e l d l a b H i ve . mo b i l it y a nd t he n at i on a l SM i L ES L i v i n g L a b. I n SM i L ES, 21 p a r t ne r s a r e work i n g to ge t he r on op e n l o g i s t i c s a nd mo b i l it y ne t work s, i n a f i ve -ye a r p r o g r a m me w it h a b u d ge t of € 3 m i l l i o n . It i s ve r y r e w a r d i n g to b e a n ac c e l e r ator i n t he s e p a r t ne r s h ip p r o c e s s e s, whe t he r t he y a r e s m a l l or l a r ge - s c a l e . T h i s i s whe r e s e e d s fo r ne w k nowl e d ge a nd i n nov at i on a r e s ow n .

Wi e t s k e D e g e n : A b s ol ute l y. A l s o i n t he s m a l l e r p r oj e c t s, yo u c a n d e f i n ite l y s e e t he a d d e d v a l u e of o u r te a m . For e x a mpl e, t he r e w a s a p r ofe s s or who w a nte d to c o nt ac t c omp a n i e s for h i s r e s e a r c h . We i nt r o duc e d h i m to v a r i o u s b u s i ne s s e s a nd a r r a n ge d fo r h i m to g i ve a p r e s e nt at i on at a k nowl e d ge a nd i n nov at i on c e nt r e . He tol d u s how pl e a s e d he’d b e e n w it h o u r he lp, a nd t h at we h a d s ave d h i m a l o t of t i me .

This is Indus t r y Rela t ions’ f i f th anniversar y. What are your thoughts on the pas t f ive years?

I r i s Vi s : T he r e w a s n’t a p r o to c ol , s o it w a s a l s o p i one e r s’ work . L e a r n i n g wh i l e do i n g, a dj u s t i n g i f r e q u i r e d a nd for mu l at i n g o u r s t r ate g y. L o ok i n g b ac k , t h i s r ol e a l l owe d u s to he lp r e s e a r c he r s a nd a s a r e s u lt , ne w p r oj e c t s w it h e x te r n a l p a r t ne r s we r e a bl e to ge t of f t he g r o u nd . T h at i s wh at m a k e s u s t i c k .

Wi e t s k e D e g e n : S ome t h i n g t h at we h a d n’t r e a l i s e d b e for e i s t h at we a r e a l s o i nte r n a l m atc h-m a k e r s . Re s e a r c he r s f r o m d i f fe r e nt f ac u lt i e s, who a r e work i n g on t he s a me t he me s, h ave fo u nd e ac h o t he r muc h mor e q u i c k l y. We no t i c e t h at r e s e a r c he r s ap p r e c i ate o u r s up p o r t

i n m a k i n g c o nt ac t w it h e x te r n a l p a r t i e s a nd s e t t i n g up p a r t ne r s h ip s .

And how do you see the fu ture for the team?

I r i s Vi s : Wit h a hu ge do s e of e nt hu s i a s m . P r o g r a m me m a n a ge r s fo r t he me s i nc l u d i n g a r t i f i c i a l i nte l l i ge nc e a nd mo b i l e s ol ut i o n s w i l l s o o n b e j o i n i n g o u r te a m . We’r e a l r e a dy m a k i n g ne w pl a n s fo r t he s e a nd o t he r t he me s

Wie t s k e D e g e n : T he p o s it i ve r e ac t i o n s a nd t he nu me r o u s p a r t ne r s h ip s t h at e me r ge s e r ve to f u e l o u r e nt hu s i a s m . A l l i n a l l : we a r e no whe r e ne a r f i n i s he d w it h b u i l d i n g

c ol l a b o r at i o n s! ■

IM AGES CREDIT S: Stef f i van Wasen (Meet and Greet Speeddating) & Reyer Boxem (Head shots) .

Ir is VisD ean of Indust r y

Relat ion s

Wietske DegenCo or d i nator Indust r y

Relat ion s

I N D U S T R Y P E R S P E C T I V E

Demystifying Corporate Partnerships in Higher

Education

J E A N P E M B L E T O N

28

JEAN PEMBLETON is a Director of Industry Solutions at Salesforce.org.

In 2018, over 44% of the $46B of all funds raised in the United States came from corporations and foundations, and corporate support to higher education has been steadily increasing over the past two decades. Corporations benefit from partnerships with institutions in many ways. Companies that want to align with the research efforts or educational missions of institutions can sponsor projects and contribute philanthropically. Through partnerships with careers offices at universities, corporations can support internship and externship programs, as well as provide industry speakers on campus and in classrooms. And while corporate altruism is certainly one factor in the drive for corporations to partner with institutions, the added benefit of exposure — creating an awareness of the company among students and alumni — creates a pipeline of future talent.

Similarly, institutions benefit from partnerships with corporations. With the fluctuations in individual giving and enrollment over the past year, there has been a reevaluation of processes and models at many institutions, and colleges and universities are broadening their engagement beyond traditional alumni donors to engage previously untapped sources. Corporate partners can have a meaningful impact on institutions in ways that go beyond traditional definitions of philanthropic partnerships and engagements. While only time will tell how the pandemic will affect philanthropic support of higher education, there is a growing awareness of the transformational impact corporations can provide colleges and universities.

Despite this awareness, there is not a universal definition of corporate relations or organizational process that drives how corporate partnerships are tracked and managed. At many institutions, management of these increasingly strategic and transformative partnerships is often recorded in spreadsheets and through tribal knowledge among staff and faculty. Furthermore, as corporations extend their institutional partnerships to career programs, sponsored research, and the co-creation of executive education programs, there is a growing opportunity to capture, analyze, and report on the holistic impact of these partnerships across campus.

It is this opportunity that is leading institutions to digitally transform how constituents of all types — alumni, parents, students, volunteers, athletics fans, faculty, and staff, and increasingly, corporations and foundations, are solicited, engaged, and stewarded. Salesforce provides technology to institutions, as well as to the corporations with which they partner. This allows for an integrated approach to corporate relations and enables corporations and institutions to seamlessly align on priorities.

As part of this digital transformation, institutions are increasingly leveraging the power of a CRM

(Constituent Relationship Management) platform that puts constituents at the center of everything. As a system of engagement, a CRM creates a single place to view connected data and sets the foundation for creating personalized experiences with constituents at scale. Unlike legacy technology, CRM technology is flexible, scalable and customizable to an institution’s needs. Examples include interactions a student might have with recruitment and admissions teams, advisors, faculty and staff, as well as interactions that alumni, corporate partners, and employers might have with teams across campus. A CRM platform is a strategy to drive digital transformation.

Salesforce unlocks 360° views of corporate partnerships, allowing institutions to track all institutional touchpoints with an employer or corporation in one place. It can manage everything from grants, to hiring, internships and philanthropic support. With amplified productivity tools, partnerships can be nurtured through a mobile experience, making it easier for relationship managers engaging with corporations to enter notes and update partnership opportunities. Social news feeds on corporate partners appear on a configurable homepage so mergers, acquisitions, research announcements, and other key company milestones can be proactively identified. Leaders at institutions are also able to take advantage of actionable reporting and insights. They can leverage easy-to-configure reports on corporate partners by research area, industry, internship, and careers trends, and can also see executive level dashboards on campaign performance and budgets.

Partnerships are increasing in complexity, and many institutional leaders have recognized the importance of CRM technology in effectively and strategically managing and growing corporate partnerships throughout campuses. Whether corporate relations as a function is managed through advancement teams, careers teams, sponsored research teams, or executive education initiatives, these partnerships are an increasingly meaningful source of financial support to institutions and also provide innovative partnership opportunities. Though every institution might approach partnerships with corporations differently, and while a universal definition of corporate relations might not exist, what is needed, and what a CRM platform provides, is the flexibility to adapt to different processes and opportunities in this growing partnership landscape. ■

IMAGES CREDITS: Salesforce.org

T H O U G H T P I E C E

A R I A N N E B I J M A

A Multi-Dimensional Future Looks Brighter

Thought Piece

32

ARIANNE BIJMA is the Global Manager Talent Programs and University Relations at ASML.

T e n to t we nt y ye a r s f r om now, c omp a-n ie s a nd u n ive r s it i e s t h at h ave b u i lt s t r on g mu lt i- d i me n s i on a l p a r t ne r -

s h ip s w i l l b e b e t te r p o s it ione d to r e ac t to e ve r mor e dy n a m ic e nv i r on me nt .

I f we h ave r e c e nt l y le a r ne d one t h i n g, i t i s t h at t he world i s c h a n g i n g f a s t i n u np r e d i c t-a ble w ay s . D i s r up t ion s i n te c h nolo g y, he a lt h, p ol it ic s, e nv i r on me nt a nd s o c i a l s t r uc t u r e s h ave s h a k e n up t he dy n a m ic s i n p r e t t y muc h e ve r y or ga n i s at ion . T he or ga n i s at i on s t h at no t on l y s u r v ive b ut t h r ive i n t he s e c i r c u m s t a nc e s a r e t ho s e t h at a d ap t t he b e s t to c h a n ge . T h i s i s t r u e for a l l or ga n i s at ion s, whe t he r t he y a r e c omp a n ie s, gove r n me nt a l or ga n i s at i on s or u n i ve r s it i e s .

T he b e s t w ay to b u i ld a n a g i le or ga n i s a-t ion t h at i s p r e p a r e d for a n e ve r - c h a n g i n g e nv i r on me nt i s b u i ld i n g c on ne c t i on s w it h t he world o ut s id e t he or ga n i s at ion . T he s e c on ne c-t ion s he lp to d e ve lop s e n s it iv it y to c h a n ge a nd a l low t he or ga n i s at ion to r e ac t f a s t a nd e f fe c-t ive l y i n c ol l a b or at ion w it h it s s t a k e hold e r s . For i ndu s t r y, i t i s v it a l to s t ay c on ne c te d to t he world of k nowle d ge a nd t a le nt w it h i n u n i-ve r s it ie s, wh i le for u n ive r s it i e s it i s v it a l to s t ay c on ne c te d to world of t he ap pl i c at i on of k nowle d ge a nd t he f ut u r e e mploye r s of t he i r s t u d e nt s . Howe ve r, b u i ld i n g me a n i n g f u l c on-ne c t ion s t h at b r i n g t he s e b e ne f it s of c ol l a b o -r at ion a nd a g i l it y i s no t e a s y.

I n a n e x a g ge r ate d d e p ic t i on of t he s ome -t i me s- d i f f ic u lt r e l at ion s h ip b e t we e n i ndu s-t r y a nd t he ac a d e m ic world, i ndu s t r y i s s e e n a s s hor t-te r m t h i n k i n g, mo ne y hu n g r y a nd op p or t u n i s t ic, wh i le u n ive r s it i e s a r e s e e n a s s low, old f a s h ione d a nd d i s c on ne c te d to t he r e a l world . S o how a r e p a r t ne r s d i f fe r e nt f r om t h i s c a r ic at u r e i n s uc c e s s f u l p a r t ne r s h ip s? A nd how do s uc c e s s f u l p a r t ne r s h ip s g r ow?

Suc c e s s f u l p a r t ne r s h ip s a r e f i r s t a nd for e -mo s t b a s e d on a n a l i g n me nt of lon g-te r m go a l s, b o t h i n t he c onte nt a s i n t he w ay p a r t-ne r s e x p e c t to b e ne f it f r om t he p a r t ne r s h ip. S e c ond l y, s t r on g p a r t ne r s h ip s ne e d to b e mu l-t i- d i me n s ion a l .

A l i g n me nt of c onte nt i s u s u a l l y t he e a s i e s t p a r t , whe r e a s t he a l i g n me nt of go a l s i s le s s s t r a i g ht for w a r d a nd t a k e s mor e t i me to d i s-c ove r. T he b e s t w ay to e s t a bl i s h i f p o te nt i a l p a r t ne r s m atc h i s to s t a r t s m a l l . Yo u s ho u ld n’t s t a r t w it h a f u l l p a r t ne r s h ip r i g ht aw ay, yo u s t a r t w it h a s m a l l c ol l a b or at i on, for e x a mple a s m a l l r e s e a r c h p r oj e c t or i nte r n s h ip s . W he n

a mut u a l b e ne f i c i a l c ol l a b or at i on a r i s e s, t h i s e n ga ge me nt c a n b e e x p a nd e d to o t he r f ie ld s, e . g . i nte r n s h ip s, c omp a ny e mploye e s g iv i n g g u e s t le c t u r e r s, c ol l a b or at i ve Ph D p r oj e c t s . To o of te n t he s e c ol l a b or at i on s r e m a i n o ne - d i-me n s i on a l, e . g . on l y i n r e s e a r c h . But fo r a s t r on g p a r t ne r s h ip to f lo u r i s h, i t i s e s s e nt i a l to h ave a n a r r ay of c ol l a b or at i ve ac t i v it ie s t h at le ve r a ge t he r e s u lt s a nd mu lt ipl y t he c o n ne c-t i on s . By s e e i n g a l l of t he s e ac t i v it i e s a s b u i ld-i n g blo c k s, b o t h p a r t i e s c a n b u i ld s te a d i l y o n a s t r on g f u nd a me nt , u lt i m ate l y r e s u lt i n g i n a s t r ate g i c p a r t ne r s h ip t h at i s b u i lt for t he lo n g te r m . For a p a r t ne r s h ip to s uc c e e d, b o t h p a r t-ne r s ne e d to b e op e n a b o ut t he i r ow n go a l s a nd a l w ay s k e e p t he lon g-te r m o b j e c t i ve s i n s c op e .

T h i s a l s o a l low s to s te e r aw ay f r om s ho r t te r m o b j e c t i ve s a nd fo c u s on lon g te r m o b j e c-t i ve s of b o t h p a r t ne r s . A l l ac t i v it i e s s ho u ld i n t he e nd c ont r i b ute to t he s e lon g-te r m o b j e c-t i ve s .

B o t h c omp a n i e s a nd u n i ve r s it i e s c a n m a i n-t a i n a l a r ge nu m b e r of a d ho c c ol l a b or at io n s, b ut t he y c a n on l y m a n a ge a h a nd f u l of me a n-i n g f u l , lon g te r m p a r t ne r s h ip s . T h at i s why, a f te r t he e x plor at i on ph a s e of a m i no r c ol-l a b or at i ve p r oj e c t , b o t h p a r t i e s ne e d to fo c u s on a l i m ite d nu m b e r of p a r t ne r s t h at a r e we l l a l i g ne d on t he lon g-te r m go a l s .

Col l a b or at i on s b e t we e n i ndu s t r y a nd t he ac a d e m i c world a r e no t j u s t a b o ut r e s e a r c h f u nd i n g, or ac c e s s to t a le nt . T he y a r e a b o ut p e ople, to ge t he r e n h a nc i n g t he b o dy of k nowl-e d ge, t he e xc h a n ge of k nowle d ge a nd t he e x-c h a n ge of p e ople b e t we e n a c omp a ny a nd a u n i ve r s it y, c r e at i n g lon g te r m v a lu e fo r b o t h or ga n i s at i on s a nd t he p e ople i nvol ve d . I f we s t a r t b u i ld i n g mu lt i- d i me n s i on a l p a r t ne r -s h ip s now, i n te n ye a r s we w i l l h ave i nc r e d i bl y p owe r f u l ne t work s of or ga n i z at i on s t h at a r e we l l p o s it i one d to f ac e t he c h a l le n ge s a he a d . ■

T h i s a r t i c l e w a s f i r s t p u b l i s h e d i n T h e F u t u r e o f U n i v e r s i t i e s T h o u g h t b o o k | U n i v e r s i t i e s D u r i n g T i m e s o f C r i s i s .

A r i a n ne Bijm a i s Glo b a l M a n a ge r Ta le nt P r o g r a m s a nd Un ive r s it y Re l at io n s at A SM L . Co m i n g f r o m a n I n-nov at io n M a n a ge me nt b ac k g r o u nd, A r i a n ne Bijm a j o i ne d A SM L i n 2015 to s e t up a ne w s t r ate g y fo r Ta le nt E n ga ge -me nt a nd Un ive r s it y Re l at io n s . Ac c e s s to k nowle d ge a nd t a le nt i s he r m a i n p u r p o s e, a s A SM L i s pl ay i n g c h a mp i-o n s le a g u e whe n it c o me s to te c h nolo g y a nd i n nov at io n i n t he S e m ic o nduc to r i ndu s t r y. Wit h ove r 250 0 0 e mploy-e e s ac r o s s t he g lo b e a nd a l mo s t t wo b i l l io n e u r o s R&D s p e nd i n g e ve r y ye a r, i n nov at io n i s i n A SM L’s ve r y c o r e . Wit h a g lo b a l te a m, A r i a n ne i s r e s p o n s i ble fo r d e ve lop -i n g a nd i mple me nt i n g t he s t r ate g y t h at d e f i ne s t he te c h-nolo g ic a l do m a i n s, t he u n ive r s it y e c o s y s te m, a nd t he p r o g r a m s, t h at e n a ble t he i nte r ac t io n w it h b r i g ht m i nd s ac r o s s t he g lo b e .

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UIIN Strategic Partnerships

Accelerator Program - Launching March 2021

S A R A H J A B E R

Developing enduring strategic partnerships with industry provides far greater and more sustainable value to universities than taking a transactional approach. To do so requires an understanding of current activities, strengths and capabili-

ties across the university to develop a whole-of-institution partnering approach that integrates all activities.

But so often, universities are not at a necessary state of ‘readiness’ for strategic partnerships – this is largely due to the lack of strategic approach towards university-business collaboration and poor management of external relationships. To support and enable universities to enhance their partnership strategy, UIIN has developed the Strategic Partnerships Accelerator Program,

which will kick off in March 2021. ▶

U I I N S P O T L I G H T

Pathway to ImpactDESIGN PROGRAM

Entrepreneurial UniversitiesTRANSFORMATION PROGRAM

Strategic Partnerships with IndustryACCELERATOR PROGRAM

Fast-track your partnership strategy

Create your engagement framework

Launch your entrepreneurial journey

SARAH JABER is the Manager Business Development at University Industry Innovation Network and Program Lead for the Strategic Partnerships Accelerator Program.

A 15 -week program to fas t - t rack your par tnership s t ra tegy

T he U IIN St r ate g i c Pa r t ne r s h ip s Ac c e l e r ator P r o g r a m i s a c ohor t-b a s e d p r o g r a m for u n i ve r s it i e s, d e l i ve r e d ove r t he s p a n of 15 we e k s, t h r o u g h a m i x t u r e of i nd i v i du a l u n i ve r s it y ac t i v it i e s a nd c ohor t g r o up e ve nt s .

T he p r o g r a m p r ov i d e s a n op p or t u n it y for u n i ve r s it i e s to u nd e r t a k e a n i n- d e p t h l o ok at t he i r ‘p a r t ne r s h ip r e a d i ne s s’, c on ne c t w it h a g l o b a l ne t work of a m b it i o u s u n i ve r s it i e s a nd m ap o ut a s u s t a i n a bl e s t r ate g i c p a r t ne r s h ip s t r ate g y t h at l e ve r a ge s t he i r a s s e t s a nd ove r c ome s o b s t ac l e s .

O u r ap p r o ac h i s u nd e r p i n ne d b y r e s e a r c h-b a s e d me t ho dol o g i e s a nd f r a me work s to g u i d e u n i ve r s it i e s t h r o u g h t he fol l ow i n g ac t i v it i e s :

• Fo c u s g r o up s w it h i nd i v i du a l u n i ve r s it i e s to l e a r n t he i r go a l s a nd v i s i on for i ndu s t r y e n ga ge me nt a nd p a r t ne r s h ip s;

• I n s t it u t io n a l s u r ve y to d e ve l op a n e v i d e nc e -b a s e on t he c u r r e nt s t ate of p a r t ne r s h ip ac t i v it i e s, at t it u d e s a nd s up p or t s t r uc t u r e s ac r o s s e ac h u n i ve r s it y;

• R o a d m ap wo rk s ho p to b u i l d a n i mpl e me nt at i on pl a n for e n h a nc i n g s t r ate g i c p a r t ne r s h ip s b a s e d on d at a, i n s i g ht s a nd r e c om me n d at i on s gat he r e d t h r o u g ho ut t he p r o g r a m; a nd

• C oho r t wo rk s ho p s to s h a r e i n s i g ht s f r om r e s e a r c h a nd p r ac t i c e a nd e n a bl e p e e r l e a r n i n g a nd ne t work i n g a mon g t he p a r t i c ip a nt s .

T h i s p r o g r a m i s op e n to u n i ve r s it i e s f r om a ny whe r e i n t he world, of a l l s h ap e s a nd s i z e s who a r e lo ok i n g to ac c e le r ate t he i r e x te r n a l e n ga ge me nt . E ac h u n i ve r s it y for m s a c or e te a m of r e p r e s e nt at ive s r a n g i n g f r om u n ive r s it y le a d e r s h ip, r e s e a r c h, ac a d e m i c a nd p r ofe s s ion a l s t a f f op e r at i n g at t he i nte r f ac e w it h i ndu s t r y, who w i l l ac t a s a m b a s s a dor s w it h i n t he i r i n s t it ut ion to d r i ve t he ac t i v it i e s a nd t r a n s l ate t he le a r n i n g s .

T he f i r s t c ohor t h a s b e e n for me d a nd r e a dy to k ic k- of f i n M a r c h . T he c ohor t c on s i s t s of a d ive r s e g r o up of u n ive r s it i e s, r a n g i n g f r om l a r ge r e s e a r c h-i nte n s ive or ga n i s at i on s to s p e c i a l i s e d c ol le ge s a nd i n s t it ute s of te c h nolo g y ac r o s s Eu r op e, U K a nd Au s t r a l i a .

St ay t u ne d to he a r of t he e xc it i n g d e ve lop me nt s a s t he f i r s t c ohor t go e s t h r o u g h

t he p r o g r a m! We a r e a l r e a dy lo ok i n g fo r w a r d to we lc om i n g mor e u n i ve r s it i e s to t he ne x t c ohor t i n one or mor e of o u r u n i q u e p r o g r a m s l au nc h i n g i n t he s e c ond h a l f of 2021 .

Yo u c a n f i nd mor e i n for m at i on on t he St r ate g i c Pa r t ne r s h ip s Ac c e le r ator P r o g r a m, a s we l l a s o u r o t he r p r o g r a m s at u i i n . or g /p i l o t-p r o g r a m s /. Cont ac t u s i f yo u wo u ld l i k e to le a r n mor e a b o ut t he U IIN institutional programs a nd i f you would like to be part of the future cohorts. ■

Our Business Group Members

U I I N S P O T L I G H T

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W h i l s t t he p a nd e m i c c au s e d s i g n i f i c a nt a nd r ap i d t r a n s for m at i on s i n h i g he r e duc at i on, fo r c i n g i n s t it ut i on s to i nte n s i f y e x te r n a l r e l at i on s a nd s t r ate g i c p a r t ne r s h ip s, t he s e d i s r up t i on s a l s o d e m a nd e d q u i c k a d ap t a b i l it y f r om p r ofe s s i on a l s c ol l a b or at i n g w it h t he h i g he r e duc at i on s e c tor f r om t he i ndu s t r y-s i d e . A s a n i n it i at i ve to s up p or t t ho s e b u s i ne s s p r ofe s s i on a l s work i n g ac r o s s u n i ve r s it y e n ga ge me nt , j o i nt R&D a nd t a l e nt ac q u i s it i on, t he U IIN Bu s i ne s s Gr o up w a s e s t a bl i s he d e a rl y 2020, a s a pl at for m to s h a r e e x p e r i e nc e s a nd k nowl e d ge to c ol l a b or at i ve l y a d d r e s s c om mon c h a l l e n ge s t h at c omp a n i e s m ay h ave r e l ate d to u n i ve r s it y e n ga ge me nt .

T he U IIN Bu s i ne s s Gr o up b r i n g s to ge t he r p r o fe s s io n a l s f r o m i n n o v at io n-i nt e n s iv e l a r g e a n d m e d iu m- s i z e d c o mp a n i e s op e r at i n g i n d i ve r s e i ndu s t r i e s, c u r r e nt l y r e p r e s e nt i n g c omp a n i e s s uc h a s A SM L , CSL , Nov a r t i s, S a l e s for c e, Si e me n s a nd Z e i s s . T h r o u g h e xc l u s i ve Bu s i ne s s Gr o up -fo c u s e d, f ac i l it at e d e ve nt s of d i f fe r e nt for m at s, i nc l u d i n g t he m at i c r o u ndt a bl e d i s c u s s i on s, work s hop s, f i r e s i d e c h at s a nd p a ne l d i s c u s s i on s fe at u r i n g g u e s t s p e a k e r s f r o m b o t h c omp a n i e s a nd u n i ve r s it i e s, v a r i o u s p r e s s i n g top i c s a nd p r ac t i c a l i s s u e s a r e b e i n g t ac k l e d w it h i n a n i nt i m ate a nd t r u s te d e nv i r on me nt .

T he g r o up t he r e for e f u nc t i on s a s a ve h i c l e t o v e r b a l i s e o p i n io n s a n d s h a r e p r a c t i c e , a n d t o c r e at e a n d e xc h a n g e k n o wl e d g e . T h i s k nowl e d ge i s s p r e a d no t on l y b y c omp a ny r e p r e s e nt at i ve s at t he U IIN e ve nt s, b ut a l s o t h r o u g h t he c r e at i on of go o d p r ac t i c e c a s e s on u n i ve r s it y-b u s i ne s s c ol l a b or at i on, w it h a s p e c i f i c fo c u s on t he c omp a ny p e r s p e c t i ve to e n ga ge me nt . Mor e ove r, t he U IIN c om mu n it y, e x i s t i n g of a s t r on g ne t wo rk of u n i ve r s it i e s l o c ate d ac r o s s t he g l o b e, of fe r s op p or t u n it i e s for c omp a n i e s a nd u n i ve r s it i e s to d i r e c t l y i nte r ac t a nd c ol l a b or at i ve l y a d d r e s s c om mon i s s u e s to e n h a nc e u n i ve r s it y-i ndu s t r y e n ga ge me nt .

U IIN Bu s i ne s s Gr o up me m b e r s a r e or ga n i s at i on a l me m b e r s of U IIN, wh i c h me a n s t h at i n a d d it i on to t he e xc l u s i ve Bu s i ne s s Gr o up b e ne f it s, t he y a l s o h ave ac c e s s to U IIN me m b e r s h ip b e ne f it s . U IIN Bu s i ne s s Gr o up i s c u r r e nt l y op e n to ne w b u s i ne s s p r ofe s s i on a l s op e r at i n g ac r o s s d i f fe r e nt a r e a s a nd d i s c ipl i ne s i n u n i ve r s it y-i ndu s t r y e n ga ge me nt . For mor e i n for m at i on a b o ut t he U IIN Bu s i ne s s Gr o up a nd op p or t u n it i e s to at te nd o r s p e a k at a Bu s i ne s s Gr o up Me e t i n g, v i s it o u r we b s ite : ht t p s ://u i i n . o r g /me m b e r s h ip/ b u s i ne s s me m b e r s h ip s / or ge t i n c o nt ac t w it h D r. Ba l z h a n O r a z b aye v a v i a or a z b aye v a@u i i n . or g.

The UIIN Business GroupCollaboratively addressing common challenges to

enhance university engagement

B A L Z H A N O R A Z B A V E Y A & M E L O D I E Z Ö L L N E R

BALZHAN ORAZBAYEVA is the Manager Strategic Initiatives at the University Industry Innovation Network.MELODIE ZÖLLNER is the Junior Community Developer at the University Industry Innovation Network.

I n t e r e s t e d i n b e c o m i n g a U I I N M e m b e r ? L e a r n m o r e a t u i i n . o r g / m e m b e r s h i p

W E T H A N K O U R O R G A N I S A T I O N A L M E M B E R S F O R T H E I R C O N T I N U O U S S U P P O R T !

INNOVATION MAGAZINE

UNIVERSITYINDUSTRY

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