University-Industry collaboration
2011
Objective
The objective of this proposal is to develop a long-term collaborative relationship between a research center and a business association/organisation
Background
The Scope of the collaboration
The scope of collaborations includes (but not limited to) the followings:
1. Research and Development (R&D),
2. Funding, Information Exchange, and Advisory services,
3. Training, Consultation and Human Resource Development
The Ways of the collaboration
The Research Centre can contribute in the following ways:
(a) To provide expertise in joint-research projects
(b) To provide places and facilities for off-the-job training
(c) To provide information (as well as advisory services) on government research funding and allocation, training support, standard and guidelines, latest industrial and business related policies, etc.
(d) To conduct training for managers from industries e.g. SMEs in the areas from quality control to technology management, and global supply chain and competitive advantage.
(e) To allow managers or employees from SMEs for official visits, requests for information, and seek advice from academics
The association (individual managers or SMEs or MNCs) can contribute in the following ways:
(a) To provide places and facilities for research and relevant field work
(b) To provide places and facilities for on-the-job training
(c) To provide information on current business environment
(d) To share (feedback) experiences, skills and knowledge in the management of businesses and technology.
(e) To allow students for official industrial visits and be exposed to the actual operations
Beneficiaries
Through collaboration, both the Research Centre and the association can benefit in the following ways:
§ The University will gain high industrial accessibility, testing ground for research, places and facilities for R&D and training purposes. Moreover, this will ensure the industrial-relevance of the research outputs. An industrial-relevance research will definitely benefit the industry and the country.
§ The association (individual managers or SMEs or MNCs) will gain government funding and support, the university technical and managerial knowledge transfer, update of the latest development in technology and management methods. In a long run, this will also help to transform some SMEs into global players.
Justification
1. Industrial-relevant: Research work as well as teaching in the universities can be more relevant to practices
2. Applied research: Research in management is very practical oriented, unlike testing work in a laboratory, management research need a substantial fieldwork.
3. Economy and world competition: In line with the government policy, university can help to improve the economy by helping SMEs from research, funding, and training perspectives
4. Research center: It will help to strengthen university and SMEs expertise in the areas of management
5. Technology transfer: SMEs will benefit from new knowledge transfer from the university
6. Funding: SMEs will benefit from government funding as well as other support
7. Activities and networking: through collaboration, many activities could be organized such as seminars, talks, short courses, industrial visits, etc. which will enhance networking between academics and the industries.
Suggestion
The Research Centre from the University should initiate the collaboration with the industries: managers from SMEs or members of the association. The managers or executives from the association or SMEs or MNCs are encouraged to participate. Both parties will study the possibilities to develop further relationships and work out possible collaboration in future.
