Growing Industry-University Partnerships: Virtual Workshop on Industry Sponsored Research

Authors

Mark Stone, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Santosh K. Pitla, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

12-2024

Document Type

Report

Citation

Stone, M. C., & Pitla, S. K. 2024. Growing industry-university partnerships: Virtual workshop on industry sponsored research. Workshop report. Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Available at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/

Comments

Open access

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Abstract

The Department of Biological Systems Engineering (BSE) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) hosted a virtual workshop on developing capacity for industry-sponsored research (ISR). This dynamic event brought together faculty, researchers, industry leaders, and students to explore innovative strategies for advancing ISR.

The workshop addressed four key themes: (1) fostering sustainable industry-academic partnerships; (2) tackling intellectual property (IP) challenges; (3) building institutional and individual capacity for ISR, and (4) empowering students as critical contributors to industry research. Through expert-led presentations, an engaging panel discussion, and interactive brainstorming sessions, participants identified actionable steps and articulated a vision for the future of ISR in BSE.

Key Insights:

1. Sustainable Partnerships: Aligning academic and industry goals, fostering trust, and maintaining open communication were identified as critical to successful collaborations.
2. Intellectual Property Strategies: Flexible and adaptive IP policies were recognized as essential for enabling innovation and collaboration.
3. Student Integration: ISR offers transformative experiential learning opportunities for students, enriching academic outcomes and industry innovation.
4. Entrepreneurship and Innovation: A dedicated support structure, such as the proposed AgTech Entrepreneurship Cell, is vital for bridging research and commercialization.