Who really makes university–business collaboration happen? Insights into academic and business collaborators

Collaboration between universities and business is vital to addressing societal challenges, driving innovation, and shaping graduate outcomes. While policies, funding, and institutional strategies provide the framework, it is ultimately the academics and business professionals individually, who make collaboration happen. These collaborators initiate partnerships, navigate barriers, and build the trust needed for long-term success.

Drawing on data from over 17,400 academics and business stakeholders across 33 countries, this brief highlights the motivations, behaviours, and experiences that define effective collaborators. By understanding who they are and what drives them, universities and businesses can better support and sustain meaningful partnerships that deliver real-world impact.

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In our podcast episode Why UniSA is putting partners at the centre of its strategy, Esther Roberts (Deputy Director of Business Development – Enterprise Partnerships at the University of South Australia) explains how the Enterprise Hub reshaped the university’s culture, systems, and physical space to simplify external engagement and foster long-term, partner-centric collaboration.

Arno Meerman (author) is the CEO at UIIN.
Sarah Jaber (author) is the Director at UIIN.