Enhancing university-industry engagement at the University of Groningen

The University of Groningen (RUG) sought to enhance the skills and capabilities of its staff involved in research, engagement, alliances, and valorisation. The primary objective was to empower the Research & Impact team and colleagues across various university functions and faculties to build stronger, mission-driven partnerships that align with societal challenges, regional development, and sustainable impact. This included both addressing the current needs of the team and developing new ways to facilitate long-term, impactful university-business collaborations that go beyond traditional consortia and align with the university’s mission-driven goals.

UIIN designed and delivered a bespoke two-day training program tailored to the diverse roles and goals of the University of Groningen’s staff. The program focused on partnership development, stakeholder engagement, and strategic impact, with specific attention on multi-actor partnerships across disciplines as a core element. We emphasised the importance of fostering collaboration across sectors to drive regional innovation and societal impact, ensuring that the partnerships are aligned with RUG’s broader goals.

Key topics included:

• Mission-driven engagement – ensuring that university-business partnerships are aligned with broader societal and regional challenges.
• Multi-actor partnerships – shifting focus towards sustainable, strategic multilateral partnerships, rather than traditional consortia, ensuring long-term collaboration beyond grants.
• Building an innovation ecosystem – strengthening partnerships with regional stakeholders to drive innovation at the local level.
• Crafting a partnership approach – creating an institutional partnership framework that aligns with RUG’s goals and enhances cross-departmental engagement.

The training program was designed with a strong emphasis on a hands-on approach, ensuring that participants could immediately apply key lessons to real-life challenges. Delivered by seasoned experts in university-business collaboration, the program provided actionable strategies and insights into global best practices. The workshops were carefully tailored to meet the specific needs of the University of Groningen, ensuring that each session was directly relevant to the participants’ roles and responsibilities.

A key focus was on fostering cross-departmental collaboration, where participants were encouraged to share insights and collaborate with colleagues from various university departments. This collaborative environment not only enhanced the learning experience but also helped establish a shared approach to university-industry engagement, ensuring that the institution can further develop a unified, strategic framework for building and managing impactful partnerships across its entire ecosystem.

The participants were equipped and empowered to:

• Develop and implement strategic partnership frameworks aligned with RUG’s long-term goals
• Identify and evaluate potential partners and collaboration opportunities within and beyond the university ecosystem
• Manage and strengthen strategic alliances to ensure continuous and effective collaboration
• Implement a structured approach to university-business engagement, enhancing the impact of RUG’s research and innovation activities.