Suchergebnisse

AbstractAustralian government policy aims to exploit university–industry research collaboration to transform the nation from a 'lucky' country enjoying the riches of agribusiness and resource exploitation, to a 'clever' country, exporting ingenuity and innovation globally. The Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) program has operated for more than a quarter of a century, but successive modifications demonstrate an inherent tension between two governance narratives pertaining to university–industry collaboration. This brief discussion looks at how the gradual privileging of one of these two narratives over time could potentially compromise genuine innovation‐producing collaboration. Policy makers therefore need to find ways to reconcile these two narratives.

AbstractGovernments throughout the world employ a variety of policy mechanisms to promote economy‐enhancing innovation, although the embedding of SMEs in national systems of innovation has generally proved problematic. The Australian Cooperative Research Centres – Projects Program represents a recent attempt to do precisely this. Interviews with participants in the first two rounds of the Program report high levels of satisfaction, but also highlight potential for friction between SMEs and research providers, together with the opportunity for strategic manipulation. This study provides government officials and other stakeholders with preliminary recommendations regarding where the Program is succeeding, and where further vigilance may be required.