AIPF recognizes the importance of enabling efficient alliances between research institutions and industry. This working group aims to address how to enhance industrial involvement, improving cooperation on a technical level, committing research institutes to involve industry early in new developments, facilitating coherent technology advancements across research institutions to foster industry participation, and establishing a long-term co-innovation strategic cooperation between industry and research institutions.
Collaboration will not always be deemed successful according to the same criteria for Industry and for Research Laboratories, so it is important to bring both views to the discussion, so that the collaboration parties are aware of goals, objectives and priorities from each other. Clarity on these aspects will be a starting point for effective collaboration. Case studies from the richness of national ecosystems will inform on measures and on instruments to increase the impact of collaborations and the success of industry at the European level.
Present status
The working group has collected information on interaction models and on concrete collaborations between research labs and industrial partners. Such models vary considerably in scope, in investment volumes and ratios, and on objectives, making it clear that an alignment between objectives and instruments must be worked out. Research labs have been working with Industry as collaborators in R&D projects of different maturity levels, as partners in commercial delivery consortia, and as customers for technological supplies, with different levels of development required.
The concrete examples of collaboration are providing an expanding list of companies with a track record of collaborating with research labs, which will be a powerful source of intelligence (to be actioned at a following stage of the working group) and a pool of additional active members of AIPF. A structured consultation will be required, to evaluate impact and success perceptions from the Industry side. This perspective is less common than the one from the Laboratories’ side, even though ultimately the success of companies will be the most important success factor for continued collaborations.
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AIPF Plans to organize joint workshops and thematic events facilitating cross-community dialogue, to identify common challenges and cooperation opportunities.
