Learning issues in successful, long‐term, inter‐firm research collaboration

• Published date: 01 August 1997
• Author: H. Lawton Smith,A. M. Coles,K. E. Dickson
• Date: 01 August 1997
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1697(199708)6:5<273::AID-JSC259>3.0.CO;2-N

Introduction

Research intensive ®rms, both large and small

are increasingly involved in R&D collabora-

tion, a fact that has been noted both in the

press and by academic commentators (Free-

man, 1991). The tendency in national and

European innovation policy to move towards

funding large collaborative programmes has

intensi®ed this trend (Barker, 1994).

There is now much evidence available to

support the rationale for collaboration (Schill

et al., 1994). Successful, innovative ®rms tend

to use information gathered from their wide

ranging contacts with external bodies, in

order to maximize their potential. In fact the

R&D department of a ®rm is the centre of a

technical communication network which

involves not only making contacts with other

scientists and engineers on an informal basis,

but also can involve writing papers for

publication and giving conference presenta-

tions. Contacts made by individuals in these

ways are important as a means by which the

®rm keeps up-to-date with rapidly advancing

scienti®c and technological data. They can

also form the network from which collaborat-

ing partners can be drawn.

Strategic Change, Vol. 6, 273±282 (1997)

K. E. Dickson and A. M. Coles

Department of Management Studies, Brunel

University, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, UK

H. Lawton Smith

Centre for Local Economic Development,

Coventry University, Priory Street, Coventry

CV1 5FB, UK

Learning issues in

successful, long-

term, inter-®rm

research

collaboration

Managing collaborative research

successfully demands that ®rms be

competent in the following key aspects:

*Project selection; establishing a clear

link between project and innovation

strategy.

*Partner selection; developing differ-

ent strategies for interacting with

different ®rms.

*Project control; requiring a clear

understanding of the limits to col-

laboration.

*Inter-personnel relations; developing

trust, commitment and understand-

ing between collaborating teams.