What the Nordics can teach us about strategic collaboration

What does it take to build meaningful, long-term collaboration between universities and industry? At first glance, the answer might appear straightforward: more funding, better contracts, clearer goals. But as a group of distinguished panellists discussed at UIIN’s Nordic Forum earlier this year, the real answer runs deeper — into the realms of mindset, strategy, and trust.

That was the consensus among a group of expert panellists at the UIIN Nordic Forum 2025. Anne Kjersti Fahlvik (Research Council of Norway), Federica Rosetta (Elsevier), Pål Orten (Kongsberg Maritime), and Per Morten Sandset (University of Oslo) brought together their insights from across academia, industry, government, and publishing to explore what it really means to collaborate with purpose — and what’s getting in the way.

Strategic alignment beyond knowledge transfer

“Strategic alignment between universities and industry is a major challenge, but it’s often mistakenly overshadowed by funding concerns”, observed Anne Kjersti Fahlvik, setting the tone early in the conversation. Rather than treating collaboration as a transactional exchange, panellists stressed the need to move towards long-term, co-creative partnerships that generate both societal and economic value.

If industry see collaborating with universities solely as outsourcing our R&D, then we have failed.

Pål Orten, Senior Research Manager, Kongsberg Maritime

Too often, engagement is approached from a narrow, linear perspective — a knowledge transfer model in which academia provides the research, and industry applies it. But this model overlooks the capacity of collaboration as a shared process of discovery and innovation.

Universities that are leading the way have made deliberate investments in the structures that support this shift. One local example highlighted by panellists gathering for the forum in Oslo was Innovation districts like Oslo Science City; these offer a physical and strategic space where institutions and companies can align. Similarly, industry-aligned PhD programmes and long-term roadmaps can create the desired connections between academic research and regional industry needs.

A crucial ingredient in this alignment is timing. Rather than waiting for funding calls to appear and then scrambling to find partners, institutions and companies should begin conversations much earlier: Co-defining challenges, aligning expectations, and laying the groundwork for joint action. But this kind of early-stage collaboration requires a high level of trust. Pål Orten rightfully noted that industry fears around “idea theft” and academic caution about commercial motives can create barriers to such openness. Addressing these concerns head-on and creating a safe space for sharing challenges and opportunities is essential to fostering the transparency that successful partnerships rely on.

Siloes among government and funders

The political landscape is increasingly supportive of university innovation, with the Draghi report and similar initiatives catalysing change across Europe. But policy momentum doesn’t always translate into practical support. As the panel noted, many funding programmes remain focused on short-term project cycles, which can undermine the long-term relationship-building required for meaningful collaboration.

Equally problematic is the tendency of current structures to favour large corporations, leaving smaller players on the sidelines. If governments want to foster truly inclusive innovation ecosystems, funding mechanisms must evolve to support startups, SMEs, and underrepresented partners — not just the usual suspects.

A further barrier, as highlighted by Per Morten Sandset, is sectorisation within government. Ministries often operate in silos, with limited coordination around research and innovation priorities. This fragmentation makes it difficult for universities and companies to navigate the system and align their efforts with national goals.

One practical way forward, the panel suggested, could be the intervention of independent innovation councils — neutral, cross-cutting bodies that provide fact-based advice to policymakers and help coordinate funding and strategic direction across departments.

Using data for storytelling

Data, when used effectively, can be a powerful tool in shaping collaboration, especially when it helps universities capture and communicate the value they create within their local and regional ecosystems.

Data can demonstrate regional impact. Looking at collaboration through a geographical lens allows universities to go back to regional funds and governments to show how much impact is created in a given environment.

Federica Rosetta, Vice President, Academic Relations and Public Affairs, Elsevier

Mapping collaboration geographically can highlight how universities contribute to local economies and ecosystems, strengthening the case for public investment and institutional support. But the panel warned against relying on data alone. While numbers are vital for making the case to funders and policymakers, they must be accompanied by stories that articulate the broader meaning and human impact of these partnerships. What resonates with a government official might not land with a university rector, or indeed, a researcher who is weighing up the pros and cons of external engagement.

The most effective institutions, the panel agreed, are those that use data proactively — not just for reporting, but for strategy. That means collecting the right metrics, making them accessible, and using them to guide decision-making, align agendas, and demonstrate value.

What’s next

Across every topic — from strategic alignment to structural funding challenges to data-informed storytelling — one message stood out: the need to move beyond the transactional.

Collaboration cannot be reduced to funding calls and outputs. It must be built on shared priorities, mutual respect, and a commitment to long-term impact. This requires not just policy reform or institutional strategy, but a cultural shift across academia, industry, and government.

The Nordic region is already home to many of the conditions needed for success: strong public institutions, a culture of trust, and growing momentum around innovation. But if it is to lead the next generation of university-industry collaboration, it must embrace a more transformational approach — one that focuses on building deep, lasting relationships that create real change.

Madeline Arkins (author) is a Project Officer at UIIN. In her work, she focuses on topics relating to social impact and innovation in regional ecosystems.