The Role of Higher Education Institutions in Knowledge Transfer and Exchange

This e-book addresses the theme of university-to-business knowledge transfer or knowledge exchange in the UK context. There has been much public and policy interest in this area over the past 10 years and the pressure on universities to engage with businesses and enterprises has increased considerably. A whole range of policy documents (DTI 2003, Lambert 2003, Sainsbury 2007, DIUS 2008) have aimed to stimulate knowledge exchange in public sector organisations, for example, ‘Innovation Nation’ (DIUS, 2008) attempted to create the conditions to enable HEIs to connect more closely with business through more efficient decision-making and increased performance. Certainly across universities much outreach work is taking place, engaging in different forms of third mission activity with industry, with small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with NGOs and with community groups (see UPBEAT 2008). Much of this activity has been supported and stimulated by the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) aimed at funding opportunities to encourage and support knowledge networks between HEI and Industry. What then is the role of higher education institutions (HEIs) and individuals working within them in supporting innovation and knowledge transfer and exchange outside the university? With the support systems and infrastructure now largely in place, it is therefore timely to explore and debate the role and purpose of HEIs in relation to such activities. Questions posed by this e-book include: to what extent are these initiatives taking root within universities and engendering genuine knowledge exchange and transfer and making real differences to both universities and receiving institutions or individuals, and how are institutions and individuals within them adapting to these changes and rising to the challenge?