University-Industry Collaboration on Technology Transfer: Views from the Ivory Tower |
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| Authors: | Yong S Lee |
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| Institution: | Yong S. Lee is professor of political science at Iowa State University and is well known for his contributions to science and technology policy and public administration research. He has written a wide range ofmticles, book chapters, and monographs dealing with government-university-industry relations, and new science and administration. He was a contributing editor of Technology Transfer and Public Policy, published in 1997, for which he was awarded the Aaron Wildavsky book award. Lee also has published many articles that integrate constitutional law with public administnition theory. His latest book on this topic is Public Personnel Administralion and Consrilulional Law. |
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| Abstract: | This article reports the results of a national survey that examines the concerns of American faculty about close university industry collaboration and explores how these concerns may impinge upon their participation in industrial innovation. The data show that while academics are generally, but cautiously, in favor of close collaboration, they live with deep tension that is caused by two powerfully competing realities: the instrumental need for industry funding, and the intrinsic need to preserve intellectual freedom. A challenge to public policy is to fashion a positive-sum strategy (e.g., tax incentives) in which firms would be encouraged to increase funding for their academic collaborators, who then may fulfill their research mission better while contributing to industrial innovation. |
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