Try to convey a small number of key results. If you and a company agree to extend the work beyond what is specified in the proposal approved by MSI, and extra costs are entailed, inform the key company contact and MSI immediately before incurring any costs. Remember that data can be competitively valuable. In publications based on the research, you will have to balance any company needs for confidentiality with reader needs for context. Keep the company informed of progress and problems.
Academic research is more general and long-term in focus and produces different benefits.
Like new products, most research fails to be a big winner. Still it doesn't take a very large probability of a big winner to make a project worthwhile to consider. The intellectual stimulation and renewal of company personnel. Having the opportunity to be exposed to people with different experiences and knowledge bases counteracts the tendency to narrowness which results from total immersion in a single company or product. The multiplier effect in terms of faculty and students who learn about issues relevant to the company.