The FRIF’s guide for industry–academia collaboration offers practical tips for researchers looking to work with companies. The guide is based on insights gained from an interview study conducted by the foundation.
The Finnish Research Impact Foundation (FRIF) has published a new guide for academics to ensure successful industry–academia collaboration projects. The guide offers tips for researchers interested in working with companies for example, on how to find and approach a potential partner. It also shares practical approaches for making collaboration smooth and impactful for all parties involved.
The guide is intended especially for researchers working on projects funded by FRIF. The foundation also provides training on the topic for its funding recipients. However, the tips in the guide are useful for any researcher interested in collaborating with industry.
The idea for the guide emerged when FRIF conducted a study on the research–business collaboration projects it has funded. One of the key questions was which factors, according to the interviewees, had contributed to the success of the collaboration or hindered it.
“After interviewing nearly one hundred research and business partners, we realized that we had gathered compelling material on what, in the interviewees’ view, had helped make the collaboration work. Certain themes came up repeatedly, and we felt that our findings could be useful for researchers interested in working with companies,” says Outi Vanharanta, FRIF’s Research Impact Officer.
An open attitude matters most
Through the interviews, FRIF gained valuable insights into researchers’ hopes and needs regarding industry collaboration, as well as the key bottlenecks hindering such cooperation.
“In the interviews, researchers were, for example, unsure about how to approach companies, through which channels and what to consider when initiating discussions about research. The guide provides answers to questions like these,” Vanharanta explains.
Bringing together the worlds of research and business is not without its challenges, as research methods and interests can differ from a company’s ways of operating.
Researchers typically aim for scientific publications, while companies are often focused on solving a concrete problem. The guide for industry–academia collaboration offers tips for building mutual understanding and ensuring smooth cooperation in such situations.
Vanharanta encourages both researchers and companies to approach collaboration with an open mind.
“The most important thing is a curious and unprejudiced attitude. Both the researcher and the company should be prepared to challenge their own ways of thinking and remain receptive to different perspectives. When both sides enter the collaboration with this mindset, meaningful learning can take place,” she concludes.
