Exploring framework for university-industry innovation projects: Building collaborative knowledge platform

Abstract

University-industry innovation projects has potential for improvement, especially for bringing new knowledge and technology into new commercial products and processes. This research work explores how a novel knowledge management model made for university industry innovation projects can support universities and industrial companies, project managers and knowledge workers, to help improve the innovation outcome from such projects. The research method is exploration of the model in the context of a university industry innovation project, focusing the knowledge processes in a pre-project stage, the main project stage and the after project stage. The knowledge management processes in the different stages of the project are documented with project applications for funding, project meetings, project reports, master and PhD thesis work, eight scientific publications and two prototypes. The findings show that the knowledge management model contribute to 1) building of the collaborative long-term knowledge platform 2) keeping focus on the knowledge management initiatives that are preconditions for successful project outcome 3) integration of real industrial needs and the knowledge of the industrial end user, which is decisive for the innovation 4) methodological application of the model to the innovation projects can support sustainable building of the university-industry collaborative knowledge platform. The article elaborates on the performance of the knowledge management model during different project stages: its strengths and weaknesses, as well as development directions and opportunities. The lessons learnt suggest that methodical application of the knowledge management model will be the main driver for further development. The research work done in this article is a first scientific approach towards a framework for application of this knowledge management model. The next step will be application of the proposed framework to a larger number of university industry projects. This work will be done in cooperation with universities, industrial companies and governmental funding Institutions.