Impact of Academic Research on Industrial Performance

Drawing on the findings of sector-specific workshops, e-mail surveys, research literature,expert testimony, and committee and panel members'' expertise, this NationalAcademy of Engineering study assesses the qualitative impact of academic researchon five industries—network systems and communications; medical devices andequipment; aerospace; transportation, distribution, and logistics services; and financialservices. The book documents the range and significance of academic researchcontributions to the five industries—comparing the importance of different types ofcontributions, the multi- and interdisciplinary nature of these contributions, and themultiple vectors by which academic research is linked to each industry. The book callsfor action to address six cross-cutting challenges to university-industry interactions:the growing disciplinary and time-horizon-related imbalances in federal R&D funding,barriers to university-industry interaction in service industries, the critical role ofacademic research in the advancement of information technology, the role of academicresearch in the regulation of industry, the impact of technology transfer activitieson core university research and education missions, and the search for new pathwaysand mechanisms to enhance the contributions of academic research to industry.The book also includes findings and recommendations specific to each industry.