From University to Industry Standards

Abstract

With a dramatically increased demand from technology and software industries for higher competence, university-industry cooperation is becoming an increasingly important subject. This cooperation has previously been shown to be for advantage of the industries as well as a suitable tactics to in early stage recruit students. This project has investigated the relationship and cooperation between universities and industries trough exploratory research (case studies) and comprehensive interviews with relevant contacts at different IT companies and IT University of Göteborg. From the information collected from these interviews, we´ll examine and conclude what makes this cooperation beneficial for both parties as well as the issues that arose. Based on these interview results, as well as the public access material such as web page, reports and other written material available, recommendation for industries as well as universities to improve their cooperation will be presented. Furthermore it is suggested that this study should be seen as a starting point for other researchers that seek to explore ways that the universities and industries may benefit from each other. Concerning these recommendations of investigated practices and case studies, this document identifies a range of actions to enhance the relationship between universities and industries as well as identify a number of examples of good practice which universities and industries may wish to consider in their cooperation planning. The main conclusions drawn from this research are: - There is an increasing will on the part of the universities and the ITC for closer relationships that go to the heart of the contribution the university can make via it´s teaching, researching, leadership and other strengths. - ITUs can make a far more substantial contribution to the IT development needs and viability to industries beyond that of being a simple employer and local purchaser. - There are numerous research analyses and empirical evidence of good practice in a number of universities around the world in terms of their competence connections with industry; but - There are also a number of impediments at university and industry level which are holding back the strengthening of the relation between them. - The ITUs management is consisted mostly of traditionalists that are afraid of exposing the universities too much and that the market could take over. - The ITUs are offering a poor variety of courses in their bachelor programs and the students end up knowing technologies that are irrelevant or unattractive.