Annual Innovation Report 2006: Lessons in Public-Private Research Collaboration: Improving Interactions Between Individuals

In order to compete internationally, Canadian businesses need to create and access knowledge that can be transformed into globally competitive products and services. An effective way to build this knowledge is through collaboration with publicly funded researchers. The Conference Board interviewed 67 researchers, from business, universities and government research organizations, who had led collaborative research projects.

The report focuses on interactions between individuals and identifies the practices and benefits that underlie successful collaborative projects as well as the barriers to such work.

The report concludes that broad benefits of collaboration accrue to all participants, differing perspectives are important, students are key, and there is a lack of clarity related to intellectual property, overhead costs and contracts. Accordingly, the report recommends helping publicly funded researchers manage students, engaging corporate executives as collaboration champions, improving the clarity of university rules and regulations, and providing tax incentives to businesses collaborating with university researchers.