University Research Links with Industry: Experience and Perspectives of Australian Science and Technology Academics

Abstract

This paper seeks to evaluate the success of Australian universities in developing effective research links with industry and enhancing university capacity in the commercialisation of research discoveries and inventions. It does this by reporting on the experience and viewpoints of science and technology academics located mainly in the Australia's 'Group of Eight' (Go8) universities, based on three different social surveys conducted between 1997 and 2005. The paper reports on academic values, types of industry links and sources of external research funding support, the characteristics of researchers with industry funding compared with those without such funding, the advantages and dangers of industry links, delaying publication and withholding research results and materials, and commercialisation of research outputs. Industry is defined broadly to include both business corporations and government departments and agencies. Go8 universities are an organised grouping of leading research-intensive universities within Australia's system of 37 public universities, which together enrol almost one million students.