INESC was created in 1980 in Portugal to link universities with industry. Starting within a university as the initiative of three young academics, the organization soon became a pivotal player in the modernization of the country through the development of applied research in science and technology to enhance the competitiveness of Portuguese firms. This paper analyses the processes behind the emergence and development of INESC, and examines how it has impacted on the Portuguese educational and economic sectors in its first two decades of activity. Drawing on the actor-network translation framework, the paper shows how universities and firms became involved as associates in the enterprise, examines the role played by the government, and assesses how these partners and their respective interests shaped the development of university–industry links.
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