It requires an effective link between the university and the business sector, which encourages higher education institutions to train professionals and what the labour market demands, in order to encourage companies to invest in research and development as a strategic activity to incorporate knowledge and progress. We understand that the capitalisation of knowledge is a concept that characterises the possibilities and capacities that universities are acquiring to give the maximum economic and commercial realisation to the products of their research.
We propose the central role that university research has in innovation and economic growth because it is the reflection of a change in the economic paradigm, which has become the technoacademic paradigm. Training is the fundamental mission of a university, but it must be able to satisfy an inherent need to acquire new knowledge. The research function, on the other hand, reproduces and creates knowledge, and guarantees the vitality of universities and the sense of their activity; and the different topics of the academic world are debated.
Extension, which we indicate as a new function, allows establishing a link with society. It contains all the activities through which the University relates to society, business and the State; it is also called the third mission of universities with a business character. Taking into account these approaches, it is considered that the adoption by the University of this function constitutes an opportunity, to be able to contribute with new knowledge that satisfies a need and to be a critical and proactive agent within society. The university institution, should play an entrepreneurial role, a role that requires greater integration, interaction and dynamism between its substantive functions, teaching, extension and research, which are performed separately and specialized.
The University assumes the objective of converting its research, into research applied to the business market and which can be a tangible commercial success.
The forms of the university-business relationship present the following trajectory:
• Relationships based on consulting activities of the university and the development of common research programmes;
• Formation of small companies with low technological and research capacity whose main function is consultancy; and
• Enterprises resulting from university research, but with close links to their original source outside the university.
Higher education institutions are more important in the generation
of knowledge and technology in R&D&I systems, therefore, for their contributions to go beyond the frameworks of research centres and be transferred to the productive sector it is necessary to strengthen the link between it and the company. Technology transfer, through University-Company contracts is one of the most effective mechanisms that manages to establish the necessary link between the university and the productive sector, for the generation of technical-scientific and economic development.
Carlos Guillen Gestoso
Professor of Work Psychology
Organisational Consultant, a specialist in career counselling
President Carbures Europe Group 20011-2014
President Carbures Asia 2012-2016
Rector Universidade Atlântica (Portugal) 2013-2017
Director of the Spanish Observatory of CSR and Director of the Portuguese Observatory of CSR
President Carbures Foundation
President of E.I.A. of Atlântica – University Institute
