University-firm linkages as drivers of innovation

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This proposal addresses a central priority in the program: "the need for a more precise understanding of the role of research and innovation in firms and organizations, including how political and economic priorities and regulations impact actors and outc omes in the research and innovation system". Consequently we focus on where research and innovation meet; in the interaction between universities and innovating firms. The vigor and dynamism of regional and national economies depend on the ability of firm s to adapt to changing markets and technologies by continually introducing profitable products, services, production processes and business models. The outcome depends on the capabilities of firms to take up new knowledge and apply it effectively. This pr oject focuses on the contributions made by universities to those capabilities. The project will first make in-depth studies of the ambitions and strategies of universities to enhance the innovation capabilities of firms and institutions to enable them to compete globally. Is this in fact a prioritized strategy and how is it implemented? Four Norwegian universities will be studied in a Nordic and international comparative context. Next, we turn to the linkage to research and universities as seen from the i nnovating firm. Surveys often testify that customers and suppliers are favored collaborators in firms' innovation processes, with universities ranked low. Our task is to develop concepts and categories to understand where in the innovation process, why a nd how linkages to research and universities are pertinent. IRIS has recently carried out comprehensive surveys on how firms collaborate and innovate, with novel and sometimes paradoxical findings. The in-depth studies in this project are aimed at solving these paradoxes to offer robust recommendations to firms, universities and policy makers. This micro level approach is consistent with our commitment to studying how innovation processes actually evolve.