Study title

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The objective of this research was to identify the factors that affect the incidence, form, effectiveness and regional impact of knowledge exchange activities between higher education institutions and private, public and third sectors in the UK. It has identified the different forms of knowledge exchange and the ways that these interactions vary across different geographical domains. The research shows that, although there is significant interaction between the science base and business, there is also significant 'hidden' knowledge exchange from a range of other academic disciplines - and it is not just about 'technology transfer' but a broader process that is best encapsulated as 'knowledge exchange'. The research also shows that there are significant interactions between academia and the public and third sectors. This research adopted a multi-method approach including case studies and two national surveys: a survey of businesses, which generated more than 2,500 responses (available here), and a survey of academics, which generated more than 22,000 responses (available under SN 6462). The case study material is not available, for reasons of preserving the anonymity and confidentiality of individual companies and academics. Further information about the project is available from the ESRC University-Industry Knowledge Exchange: Demand Pull, Supply Push and the Public Space Role of Higher Education Institutions award web page. Main Topics:The survey of businesses included questions on business performance and innovation, and how businesses perceive interactions with other organisations, such as universities, higher education colleges and colleges of art and music, with respect to a number of factors, including: modes of interaction (people-based, community-based, problem-solving and commercialisation activities)ways that interactions are initiatedmotivations and impactsconstraintsdifferent...