Knowledge-based Industry-University Collaboration Innovation: Boundary And Path

Knowledge-based economy is the economic patterns based on the production and innovation-oriented knowledge. Enterprises and universities as two cores of R&D parts in the economic system, their collaboration is increasingly important for enhancing the independent innovation capabilities and contributing to the economic growth. The nature of Industry-University Collaboration (IUC) is the production, innovation and application of the knowledge. Enterprises and universities as the knowledge-based heterogeneous organization, both inherently have a strong motive for collaboration. A new era of economic globalization, networking, and open collaboration innovation puts forward new demands for the IUC theory. Moreover, our country is achieving a great strategic goal which fully implements the scientific outlook on development, changing the mode of growth, enhancing the independent innovation capability and building an innovative-oriented country which requires a new IUC theory to guide. This study has great theoretical and practical significance for exploring the road of independent innovation with Chinese characteristics.On the basis of existing IUC theory, through theoretical construction and empirical measurement, this study presents a new theoretical model on the boundary and path of IUC from the perspective of knowledge. This paper includes seven chapters. Chapterl, introduction—statement of the problem, the research significance and research design.Chapter2, the criticism of the related IUC Theory including the classical theory of knowledge and the NIS, NPK, TH, KBT, EU and other classical IUC theory. Chapter3, a new IUC boundary—the opened knowledge and the closed knowledge.Chapter4, building the theory of the IUC path based on knowledge.Chapter5, empirical measurement path of IUC based on knowledge. Chapter6, IUC and the policy design in China. Chapter7, conclusions and prospects.The main contributions of this paper are the following aspects. Firstly, this paper has presented a new knowledge boundary of IUC--- the opened knowledge and the closed knowledge. University is the Paradigm of the Republic of Science, its knowledge boundary is open. Enterprise is the Paradigm of the Kingdom of Technology, its knowledge boundary is closed. Secondly, this paper has established the mechanism of knowledge governance of university and enterprise. For University it is academic incentive mechanism based on the priority of discovery that is opened science mechanism. For Enterprise, it is exclusive mechanism based on economic rents that is closed science mechanism. Thirdly, this paper has created a new path model of IUC---Open Science (OS) and entrepreneurial science (ES). The OS path was generated by Knowledge complementary theory, IU R&D division of labor and the linear innovation model. The ES path was generated by knowledge interaction theory, the entrepreneurial functions of university and interactive innovation mode. Fourthly, this paper has developed the operation mechanism of OS and ES. OS model is that enterprises pay taxes to the government, then the Government publicly funds the university research, universities open the knowledge for enterprises on the base of Human capital, and enterprises actively absorb the knowledge. ES model is that the government publicly funds the university research, at the same time enterprises can also fund them directly, universities open high-level forms of knowledge for enterprises through knowledge service and entrepreneurship. Fifthly, this paper has measured the OS and ES path of 34 U.S. manufacturing industry and 50 research universities. We have found the specific patterns of the OS and ES path. For industry, the OS path includes absorption of publications, employment of human capital, collaborative research, public conferences and meetings; the ES path includes contract research, consulting services, personnel exchanges, patent licenses. For universities, the OS path includes SCI papers, NS papers, Awards, Training Doctors. The ES path includes derivative enterprises, invention disclosure, U.S. patent, license. Sixthly, this paper has designed a policy system in promoting IUC in China which includes open science system, intellectual property system, benefit distribution mechanisms, knowledge-based entrepreneurship mechanisms, IUC Act, and Research evaluation system etc.