Sourcing Technology—Industry and Higher Education in Germany and the UK

Abstract

With pressures on companies to tap into a seemingly ever-expanding range of relevant technologies, sourcing issues and the appropriate mix between in-house R&D and external sources more specifically have become key management challenges. This article looks first at the approaches adopted by large German and UK companies based on the results of interview surveys. It then examines the national structure for innovation support in Germany, looking particularly at the position of universities and polytechnics in the network, drawing comparisons with the UK scene to highlight some of the problems. Finally, the author describes the Faraday Programme as a specific UK proposal to address some of the difficulties in industry-university interaction, emphasizing the more general principles it embodies.