Better Together

Collaboration allows industries to explore potentially profitable new areas of research and development and enhances the visibility of academics to industry. Since the enactment of the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 and the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986, academia-industry collaborations have increased significantly throughout the United States. The types and goals of collaborative projects in engineering usually are different from life sciences. There are four types of collaboration, consulting, developing a specific technology, testing ideas, and new knowledge exploration. Like all successful joint efforts, collaborations require time and commitments of personnel and resources. Academics have expertise and knowledge that companies may lack, or companies may not have the time to devote to a particular problem that is important but not urgent. Collaboration provides opportunities for training and exposure to real-world problems; permanent placement or business fellowships may result