There is an inherent gap between industry and academia, between a commercial enterprise and a seat of learning. There are similarities in aims and aspirations and many of the differences are little more than misconception especially when one looks at the research spinout companies started by academics and the collaborations between those at the university bench and on the factory floor, as itwere.
A new study published in the International Journal of Supply Chain and Operations Resilience by Shalini Srivastav, Vikas Garg, and Anubhuti Gupta of Amity University in Uttar Pradesh, India, suggests that globalization may well have led to greater links between industry and academia over the last couple of decades. However, they have found that in India at least, the notion of the global village has now quite led to the meshing together of these two realms to the mutual benefit of both.
Indeed, the service industries have come to the fore in India and the developing of manufacturing makes a much smaller contribution at the moment to gross domestic product. This, in part, would mean that there are far fewer opportunities for academic and industrial researchers to build productive partnerships. This is irrespective of the different ambitions of those in each sectors.
The team suggests that one route forward might be seen in how academic institutions can offer entrepreneurs at small companies consultancy rather than collaboration. Given that many small and medium-sized enterprise will inevitably lack large-scale research facilities this could give the companies the necessary nudge they need for commercial success and at the same time providing cash-strapped academics with much-needed funds to extend and expand their own research.
Srivastav, S., Garg, V. and Gupta, A. (2020) ‘Bridging the perceived gap between industry and academia’, Int. J. Supply Chain and Operations Resilience, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp.202–216