university–enterprise cooperation

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has been recently provided, in 2007, by the
project “University-enterprise cooperation:
building on new challenges from past
experiences” (in the framework of Socrates
Accompanying Measure) [77]. It was run by
the DAAD (the German Academic Exchange
Service) in a consortium consisting of ESMU
(European Centre for Strategic Management of
Universities), and National Socrates/Leonardo
Agencies from nine countries (Austria, Finland,
France, Hungary, Lithuania, Netherlands,
Norway, Poland and Portugal) and with the
contribution of several European universities.
The project analysed the place of universityenterprise
cooperation in EU education and
training policies, to assess how universities
have integrated this dimension in their
strategic developments and activities, and
to formulate recommendations on how the
university-enterprise dimension can be further
stimulated.
The project also presented a snap-shot of
the state-of-the-art of university-enterprise
cooperation in Europe, with a view to identifying
key areas which deserve particular attention
and future actions. Out of 400 respondents
from 34 countries in Europe, various types of
university-enterprise cooperation activities
were investigated and an assessment made
of progress in the last few years.
3.2.2. Features of university-enterprise
activities
At educational level, the Manufuture
recommendations are to:
• Build strong links between industry
and academia, by establishing joint
postgraduate degrees, postgraduate
industrial training and industrial reallife-driven
courses, and manufacturing
departments;
• Develop pattern to help to create SMEs
that should foster a new industrial
model in terms of the links with research
centres and this group on enterprises;
• Integrate all manufacturing qualifications
of EU Member States into European
engineering curricula;
• Bring new teaching principles and
industry-based case studies;
• Re-organise educational programmes
around new engineering disciplines with a
high potential impact on EU manufacturing
competitiveness;
• Appropriate Manufuture International
School, leading to Masters and PhD
qualification in industrial research,
based on research institutes and leading
manufacturing companies.
Assuring the future of manufacturing in
Europe, the national and regional authorities
must participate, either independently or in
a complementary manner, by:
• Fostering the creation of clusters and
integrating SMEs into networks;
• Developing competence in high-end
manufacturing technologies;
• Establishing local centers of excellence
in manufacturing, incorporating a
Manufuture network of educational and
research communities, to permit the
involvement of university researchers,
knowledge transfer to industry and the
formation of spin-off companies.
At a general level, as identified by
“university-enterprise cooperation:
building on new challenges from past
experiences” project, university-enterprise
cooperation can be split up into different
groups according to different features. This
characterization could be made according
to the degree to which universities are
involved in one or more of these clusters
of actions and activities. The developments
in the field of university-enterprise
cooperation are characterized by a gradual
development of the concrete features
mentioned below. Universities do not usually
start by having a policy with a mission and
vision statement, moving on to a strategic
plan and then starting implementing
activities. It can happen at random based
on internal developments and European and
international cooperation.
1. A clear policy, mission and vision as to
university-enterprise cooperation;
2. The creation and functioning of structures,