Industry and Higher Education

This paper articulates the opportunity of using an experimental business laboratory approach as a means of accelerating the creation, incubation and testing of new venture ideas. Such a strategy leads to the establishment of a micro-ecosystem of aspiring entrepreneurs and others in a business laboratory environment. The goal is to create a mini idea-supercollider, in which a microscopic ‘De Medici Effect’ (Johansson, 2004) can be achieved, with aspiring entrepreneurs with different ideas, experiences and disciplines meeting in a spirit of open innovation – the sum of the whole being much greater than the sum of the individual parts. The development of an ecosystem for idea generation and rapid testing using business simulation tools can accelerate the creation, mobilization and diffusion stages of the knowledge lifecycle (Birkinshaw and Sheehan, 2002) in a knowledge- driven entrepreneurship venture, while de-risking potential ventures before significant capital is applied.

Most US post-secondary and business leaders recognize the value of industry advisors and advisory committees, and the important roles they can play with respect to post-secondary educational programmes. Most such committees, however, fall far short of realizing their potential impacts. This article provides insights and practical recommendations for individuals and organizations interested in or involved with the development, facilitation and/or evaluation of high-performance advisory boards.

The dissemination and transfer of knowledge are an important source of value-added in research activities, and the transfer of new knowledge to society is now seen as a key responsibility of universities. Transnational research cooperation is pivotal to European research funding and, with this in mind, the authors examine the state of cooperation among European universities in knowledge transfer activities. They identify the key modes of academic knowledge transfer as patenting and licensing; spin-offs and enterprise creation; university–industry networks; and continuous professional development. From their study it appears that, although universities wish to increase the extent of cooperation, structural cooperation in knowledge transfer does not seem to be the ambition of many universities. The study thus confirms that knowledge transfer in Europe remains largely a regional and national affair.

Knowledge spillovers from universities and other public research institutions (PRIs) are viewed as essential for innovation. Previous studies examining the impact of such spillovers have been confined to the West, and there are no comparable studies using empirical data from Japan that explore the relationship between spillovers from PRIs and innovation in firms. The author attempts to address this gap by using data from Japanese PRIs and new technology-based firms (NTBFs). He examines several topics: the evidence that knowledge spillovers from PRIs are localized in Japan; the extent to which such spillovers are contingent on geographical proximity; whether the type of tool used to measure spillovers – patents or scientific publications – has a bearing on the results; and the relationship between spillovers and innovation in Japanese NTBFs.

In markets characterized by strong competition, new knowledge and new knowledge development are generally recognized as the key means for an enterprise to gain competitive advantage. This knowledge-based competitive advantage is critical for all commercial ventures, but is especially so for high-expectation start-ups (technology-based ventures anticipating high growth rates). Even though the organizational processes of a start-up are still under development, the success of new knowledge development is affected by three critical factors – the structure of the enterprise, the organizational technology and the knowledge promoters. An analysis of these factors suggests that the role of the knowledge promoter is the key determinant of knowledge development success in the case of early-stage high-expectation start-ups.

University–industry relationships can bring significant benefits to the university, the company and the individual researcher, but there is also the potential for risks to all parties. This paper presents the potential rewards and risks from university–industry relationships and the related opportunities for economic growth and job creation. The author describes how conflicts of interest and conflicts of commitment (COIC) can have potential adverse effects for society, research institutions and individual researchers. He provides information on managing COIC to avoid risks and gives examples of COIC situations and how they might be dealt with. The final section of the paper includes references to sources of information on appropriate policies and procedures for dealing with COIC.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have become the backbone of industrialized economies. This trend is also evident in South Africa, where, however, there are more closures than expansions: it is believed that only around 1% of the micro-enterprises started with fewer than five employees grow to employ up to 10 people. Consequently, these businesses contribute little to the taxation base of the economy, thus depriving the country of potential and much needed tax revenue. The rhetoric about the importance of SMEs in relation to the sustainability of jobs and poverty alleviation is current in South Africa, as elsewhere. Yet no studies have been conducted in the country to confirm that SMEs do have the desired effects. This study was therefore undertaken to ascertain whether SMEs do indeed contribute to and/or are able to sustain jobs over time. Performance data on SMEs were collected over a three-year period. During this period, a very small number of businesses closed due to failure; others simply disappeared or ceased business operations without formally de-registering the business.