Do academia-industry R&D collaborations necessarily facilitate industrial innovation in China?

Abstract

Purpose It is widely accepted that enterprises obtaining academic discoveries through R&D collaboration improve their innovation performance. However, it is not necessarily true in emerging economies, such as China and post-socialist countries in Europe. The purpose of this paper is to fill the gap by investigating how R&D collaboration between industry and academia (i.e. universities and research institutes) affects the industrial innovation performance; and whether and how intermediaries moderate their relationships. Design/methodology/approach This paper constructs the research model according to the knowledge production function, and the pooled ordinary least square regression is used to verify our hypotheses. Findings Evidence from a sample of Chinese industrial enterprises in thirty provinces spanning from 2009 to 2014 suggests that R&D collaboration with research institutes (CWR) is positively related to innovation output, while R&D collaboration with universities (CWU) exerts negative effect on innovation output measured by sales revenue of new product (NPSR). The significant moderating role of technology transfer institutions is confirmed in the negative relationship between CWU and NPSR. Originality/value This paper empirically examines the moderating role of intermediary organisations in academia–industry cooperation and industrial innovation, and has practical implications for the government to formulate policies to improve the quality and effectiveness of cooperation between academic and industrial sectors. These results vary in inland and coastal areas, which suggest the policy makers to formulate policies according to local conditions not only in China but also in other countries, like European countries.

Scientific and Technological Advancement of the Russian Federation: Current State and Prospects

“…Кроме этого, в ряде работ обосновывается необходимость регулирующей роли организаций-посредников в сотрудничестве академического сектора, университетов и промышленности, что имеет практическое значение для правительства при формировании государственной научно-технической политики по повышению качества и эффективности сотрудничества между вузами, научными учреждениями и организациями реального сектора экономики [12]. Представляется, что в России роль таких организаций-посредников могут сыграть институты развития, советы и рабочие группы, созданные при Минобрнау-Science Governance and Scientometrics.…”

“…Такой информационный ресурс позволит проводить системный сравнительный анализ и учет мер поддержки [20], предоставляемых научными фондами и институтами развития исследователям. научно-технического сотрудничества (далее -МНТС) 12 определены основные задачи, приоритеты и направления МНТС, включая реализацию механизма научной дипломатии. К настоящему моменту заметно выросло количество статей российских авторов в соавторстве с зарубежными учеными по приоритетным направлениям развития.…”

Developing Joint R&D Institutes between Chinese Universities and International Enterprises in China’s Innovation System: A Case at Tsinghua University

“…Some IPRs involving core technology are exclusively monopolized by international enterprises [39]. The unequal situation often reflects which side is the funding provider and unequal R&D strength, although the advantageous R&D strength of international enterprises also has a positive impact on the universities' R&D improvement [17].…”

“…The joint R&D institutes' mandates, operations and activities reflect the interests of both their affiliated universities and their external international sponsors. Moreover, their organizational formalities are more flexible than departmental structures and can be adjusted to increase the universities' adaptations and responsiveness to the demands of the external community [11,12].Since the mid-1990s, when an increasing number of international enterprises started to move better paid and more brain-intensive labor to China, Chinese research universities have become the primary R&D partners for these enterprises [13][14][15], and joint R&D institutes have become one of their most important forms of partnership [16][17][18][19]. As of 2016, international enterprises had established more than 1800 R&D institutes in China [20].…”

“…Since the mid-1990s, when an increasing number of international enterprises started to move better paid and more brain-intensive labor to China, Chinese research universities have become the primary R&D partners for these enterprises [13][14][15], and joint R&D institutes have become one of their most important forms of partnership [16][17][18][19]. As of 2016, international enterprises had established more than 1800 R&D institutes in China [20].…”