Bridging Academia and Enterprise: A Framework for Collaborative Success

Abstract

University-enterprise collaboration (UEC) is an essential aspect of research and innovation involving cooperation between universities and industry or other organizations. UEC can lead to economic growth, job creation, and enhanced research outcomes. However, the complexity and diversity of UECs present challenges in developing a practical framework that can guide the development and implementation of such collaborations. The aim of this paper is to develop a UEC framework from the key concepts identified in the literature, which can be adapted to various disciplines/contexts. This research paper is part of an ERASMUS+ project, which aims to strengthen enterprise collaboration for resilient communities in Asia (SECRA). The current paper presents the findings of thematic analysis of existing UEC literature and the resultant conceptual framework. Thematic analysis of eligible literature (N = 84) unveiled four themes and thirty-two sub-themes important to UEC. The proposed UEC framework highlights the importance of several structural, cultural, relational, and material themes and their underpinning concepts for developing successful UECs. The findings can inform future research on UECs, guide UEC practice, and provide the foundations for developing successful UECs. However, further research is needed to test the feasibility and validity of the framework in real-world UEC collaborations and to explore the interactions between different themes, sub-themes, and underlying concepts.