Abstract
Strategic partnerships between industry and universities are an area of major growth in US universities. Successful partnerships require that both parties understand the needs and goals of the other, and that the legal framework underlying the partnership reflects these needs and goals. A master agreement under which individual projects can be accomplished facilitates industry–university cooperation. Yet the concept of a single document to formalize a multidimensional industry–university relationship directly contradicts the notion of core competencies within the university and the evolving role that different university units play in the R&D/commercialization process. To be successful, colleges of engineering must evaluate their contribution to an industry–university partnership and must develop agreements which capture protection for and benefit from their sources of competitive advantage.
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