Most academics never collaborated with the industry

AROUND 70% of academics have never used their research for commercial purposes, according to a new report.

The survey, which was carried out by Trinity College Dublin MBA student Aidan King, found 50% of academics had never been involved in collaborative research with industry and that 58% felt their institutions needed to improve their commercialisation procedures.

Almost 1,000 researchers were questioned as part of the survey, which featured respondents from UCC, Trinity, UCD, NUI Galway, NUI Maynooth, Dublin City University, the University of Limerick and Dublin Institute of Technology.

Mr King said most respondents were happy with their most recent research work that involved collaboration with others but some complained of dissatisfaction with arrangements for sharing intellectual property and publications arising from the work.

“The respondents indicated that the most significant barrier to greater collaboration with industry was the lack of communication with industry,” he said.

Other barriers identified included insufficient resources within third-level colleges and a lack of understanding of the way businesses operate. The most commonly-used channels for commercialising research activity were campus spin-off companies and signing licensing deals with other companies. Around 55% of respondents said commercialisation was important for developing research work to its full potential.

“The picture that emerges highlights the need for more engagement with the academic community and the need to address the dynamics of collaboration, including the motivation and reward factors that are often overlooked,” he said.

“The needs and concerns of the academic community need to be addressed if Ireland is to create a vibrant and innovative environment that can compete globally and create sustainable competitiveness.”

The survey featured over one in six of the entire body of active researchers in Ireland’s academic community. But only 4% of those surveyed said their primary research activity was focused on collaborating with industry. 43% of academics, on the other hand, were mainly engaged in self-directed research.

Better access to venture capital and other sources of finance would make life easier for researchers in their attempts to produce higher-quality output, the report claimed.