Public-private research collaborations: longitudinal field-level analysis of determinants, frequency and impact

TL;DR

This paper analyzes how public-private research collaborations among Italian university professors have evolved over time, identifying key drivers and changes in collaboration patterns to inform policy-making.

Contribution

It provides a longitudinal analysis of academic-private sector collaboration determinants, frequency, and impact, highlighting shifts over two periods and informing policy strategies.

Findings

Variation in collaboration propensity over time

Changes in the importance of collaboration drivers

Field-level differences in collaboration patterns

Abstract

This study on public-private research collaboration measures the variation over time of the propensity of academics to collaborate with colleagues from private companies. It also investigates the change in weights of the main drivers underlying the academics' propensity to collaborate, and whether the type profile of the collaborating academics changes. To do this, the study applies an inferential model on a dataset of professors working in Italian universities in consecutive periods, 2010-2013 and 2014-2017. The results, obtained at overall and field levels, support the formulation of policies aimed at fostering public-private research collaborations, and should be taken into account in post-assessment of their effectiveness.