EN    EN EN 
 
EN    EN  COMMISSION OF THE E UROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 2.4.2009 
SEC(2009) 425 
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 
 
accompanying the 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE CO MMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMI TTEE OF THE REGIONS 
 
A new partnership for the modernisatio n of universities: the EU Forum for 
University Business Dialogue 
  
{COM(2009) 158 final 
SEC(2009) 423 
SEC(2009) 424} 
 
EN 2   EN TABLE OF CONTENTS 
1. Introduction................................................................................................................ .. 4 
2. University-Business Cooperation – Drivers for Cooperation ...................................... 5 2.1 The changing role of universities in the economy ....................................................... 6 2.2 More innovation and higher level skills in business .................................................... 7 
2.3 New entrepreneurs, new business start ups.................................................................. 7 2.4 Enhancing the overall employability in students ......................................................... 8 2.5 The main stakeholders.................................................................................................. 9 3. The European policy environment............................................................................. 11 4. The National policy environment............................................................................... 13 4.1 Laws supporting University-Business Cooperation................................................... 13 4.2 Policy, strategy and incentives for cooperation ......................................................... 14 4.3 Research into University-Business Cooperation........................................................ 16 5. Activity at the Memb er State level............................................................................. 17 
5.1 Governance ................................................................................................................ 1 8 
5.1.1 National level organisations....................................................................................... 19 5.1.2 Institutional boards promoting cooperation ............................................................... 20 5.1.3 The expanding role of car eers guidance and alumni.................................................. 20 
5.2 Curriculum Development........................................................................................... 22 5.2.1 Organisations involved in influe ncing curriculum development............................... 22 
5.2.2 Joint courses between sectors and universities/facilities ........................................... 24 
5.2.3 Involvement in the development of l earning outcomes based certification............... 25 
5.2.4 Quality assurance and accreditation........................................................................... 25 5.3 More effective continuing education a nd training/retraining (Lifelong Learning).... 26 
5.3.1 New institutes for lifelong learning............................................................................ 27 5.3.2 New courses and adaptation of existing university programmes............................... 28 
5.3.3 Recognition of prior learning..................................................................................... 29 5.4 Mobility................................................................................................................... ... 30 
5.4.3 Mobility of academics to and from industry.............................................................. 30 5.4.3 Industry Chairs: members of industry chai ring or contributing to university boards 31 
 
EN 3   EN 5.4.4 Student internships..................................................................................................... 3 1 
5.5 Entrepreneurship ........................................................................................................ 33 5.5.1 Embedding entrepreneurship in the curricula ............................................................ 34 5.5.2 National strategies for entrepreneurship .................................................................... 35 5.5.3 Teaching the teachers and the entrepreneurs ............................................................. 36 5.5.4 Industrial professors................................................................................................... 3 7 
5.5.5 Research into entrepreneurship.................................................................................. 37 5.6 Knowledge transfer .................................................................................................... 38 5.6.1 A coherent support structure for knowledge transfer................................................. 39 5.6.2 Mobility for research.................................................................................................. 40  
6. Other issues and activities.......................................................................................... 41 6.1 The role in the regional economy............................................................................... 41 6.2 Corporate Social Responsibility................................................................................. 44 6.3 Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME)
............................................................ 45 
6.3.1 Collaboration for innovation within SMEs................................................................ 45 6.3.2 Collaboration for greater employ ment opportunities within SMEs........................... 46 
7. Conclusions................................................................................................................ 4 7 
7.1 Overall conclusions.................................................................................................... 47 
Annex A1 - Publications ........................................................................................................ .. 49 
Annex A2 – Forum Conclusions.............................................................................................. 53 
 
EN 4   EN 1. I NTRODUCTION  
This staff working paper co mplements the Communication “  A new partnership for the 
modernisation of universities: the EU  Forum for UNIVERSITY-BUSINESS Dialogue ”. 
The Communication reports on th e first year of operation of the EU forum for University 
Business Dialogue, draws conclusions and makes pr oposals for future work. This text reports 
more fully on the experiences of university -business cooperation which lie behind the 
exchanges in the Forum. The intention is to highlight good practises which can serve as a 
model for new initiatives in this area with a view to strengthen high level skills, innovation 
and creativity. 
The paper draws on practical experiences of university-business cooperation from the 
Member States, from European programmes an d contributions from the University-Business 
Forum workshops which took place over 20081 and continue in 2009. The University-
Business Forum covers a broad ra nge of areas in wh ich cooperation between universities and 
businesses was seen as having a contribution to make. Themes for cooperation include: 
• Governance 
• Curriculum Development 
• Lifelong learning 
• Mobility 
• Entrepreneurship 
• Knowledge transfer 
The report aims to summarise some of the main trends in these areas, consolidating the work 
in the Forum's meetings and workshops by drawing on additional background research. It will help to support Member States’ efforts in the modernisation of Europe’s Universities in line with the modernisation agenda for univer sities: education, research and innovation
2. 
In 2006, the European Commission published a Communication on “Delivering on the 
Modernisation Agenda for Universities: Education, Research and Innovation”. The 
Modernisation Agenda for universities is part of the Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs. It 
highlighted the key role Universities will play  in Europe’s future and in the successful 
transition to a knowledge-based economy and soci ety. However, this crucial sector of the 
economy and of society needs in-depth restructur ing and modernisation if  Europe is not to 
lose out in the global competition in  education, research and innovation.  
                                                 
1 University-Enterprise Workshop, Brussels, 17 July 2007, Brussels; Thematic Forum on Continuing 
Education and Lifelong Learning (Brussels, 30 June 2008); Thematic Forum on Curriculum 
Development and Entrepreneurship (Tenerife, 30-31 October 2008); European University-Business Forum, Brussels, 5-6 February 2009. 
2 Mobilising the brainpower of Europe, COM(2005)152 ; Delivering on the modernisation agenda for 
universities, COM(2006)298. 
 
EN 5   EN The Communication suggested changes in nine areas as key to success: 
– Break down the barriers around universities in Europe 
– Ensure real autonomy and acc ountability for universities 
– Provide incentives for structured part nerships with the business community 
– Provide the right mix of skills and competencies for the labour market 
– Reduce the funding gap and make funding work mo re effectively in education and research 
– Enhance interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity 
– Activate knowledge through in teraction with society 
– Reward excellence at the highest level 
– Make the European Higher Education Area and the European Research  Area more visible 
and attractive in the world. 
The need for action in these nine areas is widely acknowledged by stakeholders and Member 
States, most recently in the Council Resoluti on of 23 November 2007. There remains however 
a clear challenge in the implementation of these measures.  
One of the EU-level responses to the changing  role of HEIs in th e economy has been the 
establishment of the European University-Busine ss Forum, intended to facilitate exchange of 
examples of good practice, to foster mutual learning and networking and to inspire further 
activities in the EU Member States. The Foru m is the European Commission’s response to 
calls from the academic and business communities for regular and sustainable dialogue, 
exchange, sharing and mutual learning. 
2. U NIVERSITY -BUSINESS COOPERATION – DRIVERS FOR COOPERATION  
At the heart of University-B usiness Cooperation is  the need for Eur ope to be globally 
competitive in the knowledge-based economy. Asian economies are overtaking the US and Northern Europe to become the most competitive in the world
3. After the European Union and 
the US, China is now the third largest economy in the world. Skilled labour supply in China now equals around 40% of that in all OECD countries, and the gr owth rate of student numbers 
is much higher than in the OECD. In the coming years, these shifts may have major implications for global trade
4 
The discussions and presentations in the Univer sity-Business Forums point to a number of 
different drivers for cooperation from the pe rspectives of business and higher education. 
• The changing role of universities in the economy: new sustainable models 
                                                 
3 20th World Competitiveness Yearbook, released  May 15 2008 by IMD business school 
4 The Higher Educational Transformation of China and Its Global Implications: NBER Working Paper 
No. 13849 http://www.nb er.org/papers/w13849 
 
EN 6   EN • Supporting innovation and higher le vel skills in businesses 
• Creating new entrepreneurs,  new business start ups 
• Improving employability of graduates 
The public consultation was designe d to involve stakeholders in present and future European 
debates concerning school educ ation; however, it di d not present a proposed policy on which 
views were sought. On the contrary, it sought to involve participants in the development of 
future cooperation work by seeking their views on some important aspects of school 
education and on future challenge s and possible solutions. Opinions  were sought in particular 
on what the added value of European cooperatio n could be in addres sing common challenges, 
while respecting the princi ple of subsidiarity and Member State competences. 
2.1 The changing role of universities in the economy 
Throughout the world a consensus is emerging re garding the position and role of Higher 
Education in the developed knowledge economy, with common agreement that universities 
are not just places of teaching, learning and ‘ivo ry tower’ research. Where it has been possible 
in the past to sustain academic activity si mply to increase the body of knowledge and 
understanding in particular domains, the ec onomic consequences a nd opportunities arising 
through scientific and technological advances have brought knowledge and the acquisition of 
knowledge firmly into the economic sphere and into world markets. Universities are thus 
increasingly becoming actors in the lands cape of global economic relationships and 
transactions. 
At the same time, a role has been identified for HEIs in the upgrading of skills in the 
workforces required to power the new knowle dge economies, presenting opportunities to 
engage far greater numbers of students in tertia ry education, and to support and resource the 
lifelong learning activity which can afford not only personal fulfilment but also the 
continuous updating of skills to meet rapidl y changing requirements in the economy. 
Globally, universities are expected to meet a variety of challenges: 
– To contribute to the economic welf are of a region and/or country 
– To respond to academic competitive forces 
– To engage in the drive for prestige 
– To respond to increasing enrolments 
– To respond to globalisation of education 
In a February 2007 speech at London’s Brunel Un iversity, the then UK Prime Minister Tony 
Blair said ‘Colleges as sites of disintereste d learning are one of th e great parts of our 
civilisation. But we have grafte d onto them a very modern phenomenon - that the knowledge 
that was once the preserve of an elite is now the indispensable requirement for economic 
advance. To that extent the democratisation of  university entrance is a matter both of social 
justice and of economic efficiency.’ 
 
EN 7   EN This new enlarged relationship between HEIs and the economy and labour market inevitably 
directs tertiary education towards collaborati on with the primary agents of economic delivery 
and employment – businesses. 
2.2 More innovation and higher level skills in business 
The Mid Term Review of the Lisbon Strate gy stressed the importance of knowledge and 
innovation as key drivers of European compe titiveness, and outlined a variety of proposals 
aimed at increasing the level, efficiency and th e exploitation of educatio n and research as the 
drivers of innovation.5 
“The innovation gap between the EU and its tw o main competitors, the US and Japan, has 
been decreasing but remains significant” acco rding to the 2008 edition of the European 
Innovation Scoreboard (EIS)6. The US keeps its lead in 12 out of 16 indicators for which 
comparable data are available, and Japan keep s its lead in 12 out of such 16 indicators 
In this context there is a limited level of know ledge sharing, exchange and transfer between 
higher education and research centres on the one hand and bus iness on the other7 . Many 
European universities and researchers still consider business as a separate, perhaps even an alien world, and many businesses do not consid er interaction with universities or other 
research organisations as a strategic input into  their future. Whilst this is, in part, a demand 
side problem resulting from widespread private sector reluctance to work with the higher 
education sector
8, the responsibility also li es with European universi ties, and thei r ability to 
deal with the demands of the private sector9. 
2.3 New entrepreneurs, new business start ups 
The 2005 Lisbon Strategy describes the essentia l role of entreprene urship to promote 
economic growth. Entrepreneurship and start-up businesses provide jobs, in particular higher-
value jobs and career opportunities. In order to sustain economic growth the level of 
entrepreneurship, and the number of new start- ups must continue to  increase. Research 
demonstrates a positive correlation between entrepreneurship and economic growth, and 
shows that countries with high entrepreneurship  rates have decreasing unemployment rates. 
The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM ) 2007 indicates that Europe has far less 
entrepreneurial activity than China and the US , for example. The GEM figures for “overall 
entrepreneurial activity” in Ch ina are 24.6% compared to, for example, Austria (8.4%), 
Belgium (4.6%), France (4.8%), the Neth erlands (11.3%) or the United Kingdom (10.5%)10. 
Looking at the figures for “High Growth Expect ation Early Stage Entr epreneurship in the 
Adult population”, China is higher than all other GEM countries. 
                                                 
5 COM (2005) 24 final “Working Together for Growth and Jobs: A New Start for the Lisbon Strategy” 
6 EIS 2008 published on 22 Jan 2009. EIS is an instrument providing a comparative assessment of the 
innovation performance of the EU Member States and a limited number of other countries. Report and 
annexes are available at http://w ww.proinno-europe.eu/metrics 
7 OECD (2002) Benchmarking Industry-Science Relationships 
8 (2003) The Lambert Review of Business-University Collaboration 
9 Lambert, R. and Butler, N. (2 006) The Future of European Universities:  Renaissance or Decay? 
10 Entrepreneurial Activity in 2007 across the globe GEM Adult population survey 2007 (APS) 
 
EN 8   EN The appearance of new pressures on the Eu ropean economy include an ageing population, 
shrinking labour force, as well as increasi ng competition from emerging economies that offer 
cheaper labour. Facilitating entrepreneurship gives advantages in opening up employment for 
currently under-utilised sections  of the workforce, including the unemployed, disadvantaged, 
and in particular enabling the entrepre neurial potential of women. In this way 
entrepreneurship can also contribute to social  cohesion through the leve l of employment as 
well as enhancing the level of individual econo mic reward and work satisfaction. Europe 
needs to prioritise entrepreneursh ip for these reasons; and universi ties need to be at the heart 
of its efforts to do so. 
Professors, students and researchers need to de velop entrepreneurial skills to facilitate the 
creation of new opportunities  from study and research11. On the whole Europe produces few 
spin-outs and new businesses. The staff working paper12 accompanying the Communication 
“Think Small First - A Small Business Act for Europe" underlines that entrepreneurship is still not sufficiently reflected in educational and training policies. 
Another issue in the EU relates to insufficien t mobility in education, innovation and research 
among professors, students, researchers and co mpany staff. The low level of mobility – 
between institutions, across borders and between academia and business – and the existing legal and administrative barriers to mobility hinder knowledge ex change, sharing, transfer and 
creation. 
In order to encourage entrepreneurship, a more  favourable social climate must be created 
through changing the mindset, culture, and the skills set of the workforce, removing obstacles to start-ups and promoting se lf-employment as an attractiv e prospect. Higher education 
provides an ideal opportunity to foster entrepreneurial quali ties by enabling individuals to 
develop the generic attributes, skills and attitudes for entrepreneurship, as well as imparting 
knowledge about start-up, busine ss, and markets. Higher educa tion institutions offering life-
long learning can also spur entrepreneurial ac tivity among individuals who are already in the 
workforce. Furthermore, individuals with an understanding of entrepreneurship can make a 
greater contribution to employers. Traditionall y, education in Europe has not encouraged 
entrepreneurship, but examples ar e emerging of new initiatives to include this is in curricula
13.  
2.4 Enhancing the overall employability in students 
There is an increasing labour market demand fo r people with the highest qualification levels 
(European Centre for the Development of Vo cational Training (Cedefop) study: 12.5 million 
additional jobs at the highest qua lification level in 2015; jobs that  require high or intermediate 
skills will correspond to 79% of labour market needs in 201514. Technological change and 
globalisation are likely to furt her accelerate the shif t in skills demand. Without the adaptation 
of Higher Education and forecasting techniques which will allow universities to respond to 
labour market demands as they emerge, the supply will be insufficient.  
                                                 
11 COM (2006) 33 “Implementing the Community Li sbon Programme: Fostering Entrepreneurial 
Mindsets through Education and Learning” 
12 SEC(2008) 2101 “Commission Staff Working Document accompanying the Communication “Think 
Small First - A Small Business Act for Europe” 
13 Communication from the Commission to the Council, Implementing the Community Lisbon 
Programme: Fostering entrepreneurial mindsets through education and learning (2006) 
14 Compared to 74% in 2006 
 
EN 9   EN Feedback from employers indica tes that a too many graduates do not have the right mix of 
knowledge, skills and competence that  is required in the labour  market. Employers are asking 
in particular for more transver sal and transferable skills, an area of skills development which 
is often inadequately tackled by universities. Research by the CBI15 in the UK shows that 
almost a third of employers (30%) have problems with graduates’ generic employability skills 
such as team working, communication and prob lem solving. Employers are also disappointed 
with graduates’ attitudes to work (25%), se lf-management (33%), business awareness (44%) 
and foreign languages (49%). This mismatch between the knowledge, skills and competences 
acquired by graduates and those expected and valu ed by employers, is explored in more detail 
in the study undertaken by the CIHE in the UK16. The report confirms the mismatch and 
provides some recommendations to em ployers, universities and students. 
The report of EUA “Trends V”17 suggests that employability is a high priority in the reform of 
curricula in all cycles. This  concern transcends nationa l boundaries and implementation 
priorities. However, the results al so reveal that there is still mu ch to be done to translate this 
priority into institutional practi ce. This is a paradox for a reform  process inspired, at least in 
part, by a concern that higher ed ucation should be more responsiv e to the needs of a changing 
society and labour market. In this respect, one of the main challenges for the future is to 
strengthen dialogue with employers and other external stakeholders. 
2.5 The main stakeholders 
University-Business Cooperation takes place between the two communities concerned, but a 
wider array of stakeholders  must also be involved. 
Table 1 Examples of  stakeholder types 
Government/public • National Government 
 • Regional Government/authorities 
 • Sector councils 
 • Funding bodies 
Business • Business/sector associations 
 • Trade unions 
 • Joint associations  
 • Individual businesses 
University • University Associations 
                                                 
15 CBI/Pertemps, “Employment Trends survey”, 2006 
16 Council for Industry and Higher Education; Graduate Employability: what do employers think and 
want; 2008  
17 Trends V: Universities shaping the EU Higher Education Area, EUA report, 2007 
 
EN 10   EN  • Individual universities 
Other • Qualifications/ Quality Assurance Agencies 
 • Professional academic associations 
 • Student bodies 
There should also be a wide ra nge of interactio ns, allowing stakeholders to work with each 
other in a number of ways. From the business perspective cooperation can be envisaged 
through, for example, national government or regional level, channelled through sector 
organisations, with either groups of universities or individual universities or with faculties. 
From the Higher Education perspective it can be through, for example, national and regional 
business organisations, quality assurance agencies, sector specific organisations, alumni mechanisms or individual businesses.  
In order to reach SMEs it is important to include  organisations that can act as a facilitator and 
intermediary to bring in different views and s ee challenges from a different angle: chambers, 
incubators, investors, government agencies, t echnology parks, etc.  Such intermediary 
organisations, in particular those close to busines s, can reach out to enterprises of all sectors, 
in particular SMEs, and make the necessary link with  universities.  
Each type of stakeholder can also take a ra nge of approaches to cooperation. The following 
table gives some examples of the types of mech anisms which might be used. For universities, 
the more traditional forms of cooperation such as research projects tend to dominate the types of relationships formed with businesses. 
Table 2 Stakeholders and cooperation mechanisms 
Stakeholder Cooperation mechanisms 
Universities  
 Contracted and cooperative projects, Licens ing and sale of intellectual property,  
Graduate training courses, Continuing education centres, Adaptation of courses to new 
skills requirements, Community services, Scientific and technological parks, Spin out 
companies, Business support servi ces, Staff and student exchanges 
Students (new and 
alumni) Knowledge on career expectations, Feedback/evaluation of relevance of UBP 
approaches 
Businesses  
 Internships for students, Internships for university staff, Contracted and cooperative 
projects, Knowledge on necessary labour  market skills required (technical and 
managerial), Input on advisory boards, Business professors/role models/entrepreneurs, Creation of new centres of excellence/private training 
Government (national 
and regional) National strategies with reference to engaging HE with businesses, Higher Education 
Acts/laws, Funding of national/regional initiatives, New bodies/commissions to 
discuss these issues, Regional consortiums/networks 
 
Funding bodies New initiatives/funding streams to promote cooperation 
Sector councils/Trade 
unions Research into sector skills needs, Dialogue with government and Higher Education 
Joint Associations Research into the complete subject, New projects, Dialogue with government 
University 
Associations Dialogue with business associations, sector councils, trade unions, Dialogue with 
government. Represent the needs of universities, Dialogue with QA 
 
EN 11   EN Stakeholder Cooperation mechanisms 
Qualifications 
Agencies Accreditation, Recognition of University -Business Cooperation in performance 
indicators. 
 
3. T HE EUROPEAN POLICY ENVIRONMENT  
There are a number of EU policy initiatives and financial instruments either targeted 
specifically towards education or innovation or re search activities indi vidually, or focusing on 
specific target groups: Higher Education Institu tions, companies, research organisations or 
regions. 
In the area of Entrepreneurship, the Reco mmendation on key competences for Lifelong 
Learning was adopted on 18 December 2006 by the European Parliament and Council18. 
Among the eight defined competences are digital competence, social, interpersonal and civic 
competence and cultural expression and sense of initiative and entrepreneurship. The 
Communication on “Implementing the Co mmunity Lisbon Programme: Fostering 
entrepreneurial mindsets through education and l earning” develops a number of proposals to 
improve entrepreneurial attitudes in Europe. 
The New Skills for New Jobs  initiative identifies a number of measures and actions to improve 
the availability and quality of information on present and future occupational demand and 
related skill requirements. Alt hough there is awareness of the complexity of the undertaking, 
there is universal agreement that forecasting is an indispensable tool better to inform policy 
makers and to achieve a better match between demand and supply of skills. 
2009 is the European Year of Creativity and Inn ovation. The activities of the year will focus 
on creating an environment favourable to cr eativity and innovation and become a strong 
impetus for a long-term policy priority. The Eu ropean Year of Innovatio n and Creativity is 
proposed as a cross-cutting initiative covering not only education and culture, but also other 
policy domains such as enterprise, media, re search, social and regional policy and rural 
development19. 
In the area of mobility the European Job Mobility Action Plan (2007-2010) [COMM (2007) 
773] has been adopted. Moreover, specific priority  actions fostering the mobility in research, 
including mobility between academia and bus iness, have been proposed by the Commission 
(COMM (2008) 317). 
Several other policy initiatives  address the promotion and de velopment of innovation in 
Europe. The Commission has proposed framework conditions20 as well as specific measures 
in support of research and innovation that will contribute to meet the Lisbon targets. The 
communication on “Improving knowledge transfer between research institutions and industry 
                                                 
18 http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/2010/objectives_en.html#basic 
19 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleas esAction.do?reference=IP/08/482 
20 COM (2005) 488 “More research and Innovation, Investing for Growth and Employment: a common 
approach” 
 
EN 12   EN across Europe”21, with its annex22 goes a step further and provide s more concrete support to 
different stakeholders. 
Particularly important in this context is th e establishment of the European Institute of 
Innovation and Technology (EIT)23, which aims: 
• to contribute to improving the innovation capacity of the EU by involving partner 
organisations in integrated innovation, resear ch and education activ ities at the highest 
international standards; 
• to become a model and flagship for the in tegrated European Innovation Research and 
Education area by generating innova tions in areas of key economi c or societal interest and 
providing a reference for managing innovation. 
The policy initiatives are financially backed  up by various Community programmes: the 
Financial Framework 2007-2013 allocates substant ial amounts of resources to education, 
innovation and research re lated activities to co ntribute to boost the EU economy and create 
more and better jobs. 
The integrated Lifelong Learning  Programme (2007 – 2013) addresses important needs 
concerning the modernisation and adaptation of Member States’ education and training 
systems, particularly in the context of the stra tegic Lisbon goals. It al so brings added value 
directly to individual citizens participating in its mobility and other cooperation actions. 
The 7th Framework Programme for Resear ch and Technological Development is the 
main financial tool through which the Europe an Union supports research and development 
activities. Particularly intere sting in this context are meas ures that support the sharing, 
exchange and transfer of resear ch results, the mobility programme for researchers at all levels 
of experience being of particular importan ce. In FP7 People Programme two important 
schemes – Initial Training Networks (ITN) and Industry Academia Partnership and Pathways 
(IAPP) have been further developed, addressing researchers at all stages of their careers 
starting, from initial research training speci fically intended for young people to life-long 
learning, both in the public and private sectors. 
The Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) aims at improving the structural 
innovation and growth conditions of the Union. Fo r this purpose, it includes actions in support 
of innovation and of growth for SMEs. It aims to improve access to finance and to promote eco-innovation, while funding EU services in support of business and innovation. 
The new generation of economic and social cohesion programmes allocates a significant 
proportion of its budget for investing in the main drivers of growth and employment, 
especially in the fields of research and de velopment, innovation, busin ess-support activities, 
employment and education. The Community strategic guidelines on cohesion policy (2007-
2013) adopted by the Council, stress the promo tion of sustainable development and the 
                                                
 
21 COM (2007)182 “Improving knowle dge transfer between research institutions and industry across 
Europe” 
22 SEC(2007)449 “Voluntary guidelines for universities and other research institutions to improve their 
links with industry across Europe” 
23 COM(2008) (EIT) 
 
EN 13   EN strengthening of competitiveness by concen trating resources on re search and innovation 
(RTDI), entrepreneurship, information society and training and adaptability of workers. 
4. T HE NATIONAL POLICY ENVIRONMENT  
The wide variety of national a nd regional political economies in Europe, coupled with the 
current reforms being undertaken in highe r education, means that national policy 
environments are complex. Although some countri es have not explicitly  set out University-
Business Cooperation as a policy priority, in many countries it is embedded in 
competitiveness, globalisation or science and innovation agendas. There is also evidence of mature regional or instituti onal development across Europe. 
4.1 Laws supporting University-Business Cooperation 
The majority of EU Member States have some  form of cooperation decreed by law. However 
these laws differ in focus and complexity. Th e following give some examples. In Estonia, 
since 2003 there is a requirement that all Higher  Education Institutions (HEIs) need to have 
curricula councils where relevant employers or  professional associations are represented
24. In 
Italy, formal compulsory cooperation of busine ss and social partners is provided for in 
national law and includes the design of curricula  of all 1st and 2nd cycl e degree courses. In 
Hungary, the HE Act states that four me mbers of the Hungarian Higher Education 
Accreditation Committee must be delegated by  chambers and national professional bodies 
involved in the operation of highe r education, while six member s of the Higher Education and 
Scientific Council must be delegated by the ch ambers, one member each by the Trade Unions 
of Higher Education Employees and three partner ministries25. In Austria, in the Universities 
of Applied Sciences (UAS), cooperation with bu siness and social part ners is provided on a 
legal basis and all UAS study progr ammes are profession-oriented. 
Austria: Universities of Applied Sciences 
In the UAS sector, cooperation w ith the world of business and so cial partners is provided on a 
legal basis. UAS study programmes are professi on-oriented. The curricula are designed in 
close cooperation with experts fr om industry or the public sector  following several analyses of 
the needs of the job market (section 12 paragr aph 2 number 9 and pa ragraph 3, UAS Studies 
Act). Consequently the implementation of the Bologna principles has always been borne by 
the institutions and the world of  work. There is a strong involvement of external experts both 
in teaching and in research. Furthermore, repres entatives of the world of work are involved in 
the external and internal quality  assessment. (Bologna Report 2007) 
The Universities Act 2002 in Austria also makes provision for universities to establish 
certificate university progra mmes for further education. 
“The individual universities and the Federal Government  conclude for periods of three years performance 
agreements whereby the universities shall formulate their contribution to social progress… this includes 
courses….for working students…” An am endment to the current university act  in Finland also states that “in 
carrying out their mission, the universities shall interact with the surrounding society and promote the societal 
impact of research findings and artistic activities” (Amendment 715/2004).   
                                                 
24 Estonia: Bologna Report 2007 
25 Hungary: Bologna Report 2007 
 
EN 14   EN This quoted part will be included in the new act to come into force in 2010. The role of 
private partners in two of the 16 universitie s that will exist in 2010 will be significant. 
Finland: New law in 2010 
The University Law in Finland will be updated in 2010. Universities will have a strong third 
mission and have to facilitate lifelong learni ng throughout their activitie s. When it comes to 
governance, there is a proposal that at least ha lf of the members of the university boards - 
including the chairman - shall co me from outside the university. 
The Finnish Government has started a reform a nd merger of universitie s that will guarantee 
their autonomy. Universities operating either  as corporations under public law or as 
foundations under private law. 
Some Laws are very specific: in Romania, th e university-business link is fostered through 
Law No. 258/2007 on student internships. The im plementation of its provisions aims at 
improving quality and content of internships which represent a compulsory component of 
curricula26. 
Although less prescriptive, in Sweden27 the Higher Education Law from 1992 establishes that 
basic higher education has the duty to prepar e students for the changes and challenges in 
working life. Government proposals have sin ce argued that univer sities as individual 
institutions are obliged through law to take labour market n eeds as well as student demand 
into consideration in its pla nning of courses and programmes28. In a preview of the 2009 
budget proposal, the Swedish government also re veals plans for specific investments into 
higher education entrepreneurship and innovation specific programmes. 
4.2 Policy, strategy and incentives for cooperation 
• In the publication 'University and Business: Pa rtnering for the knowledg e society’ (Luc E. 
Weber and James D. Duderstadt) the authors argue that University-Business Cooperation 
can only happen through the involvement of state actors. 
A number of Member States have developed programmes a nd incentives for University- 
Business Cooperation in their stra tegies and work through other state actors. In the UK, the 
Higher Education Funding Council for Engla nd (HEFCE) plays a cen tral role in the 
encouragement of new relationships between  Higher Education and employers to support 
business growth. HEFCE support a workforce development programme29 which includes 
employer engagement projects and higher leve l skills pathfinders. Th e programme has two 
related goals - to design and deliver of HE courses in partnership with employers, and to 
increase the number of learners in th e workplace supported by their employers. The 
programme will run from 2008-2011. 
UK: HEFCE Employer Engagement Funde d Project – University of Derby 
                                                 
26 Romania Bologna Report 2009 
27 Student demand tends to be the main regulator of higher education supply 
28 http://www.riksrevisionen.se/template s/OpenDocument.aspx?documentid=4781  
29 http://www.hefce.ac.uk/econsoc/employer/ 
 
EN 15   EN University of Derby Corporate aims to enha nce the University of Derby’s capacity for 
employer engagement and fully exploit its pr oven flexible frameworks for responsive, 
customised skills development and lifelong lear ning. The project will engage more employers, 
including those in sectors with  no tradition of higher educatio n (HE). These opportunities will 
be designed to develop a highly skilled work force underpinned by the university’s flexible 
framework for bespoke and shorter awards. 
Specifically, the three objectives of the project are to: 
• establish a new business model for employer engagement to result in more HE 
programmes in partnership with employers 
• create a new academic career pathway in employer engagement through establishing 
'Workforce Development Fellows' 
• create a purpose-built facility for services to employers that  meets the standards required 
by business clients. 
In response to the current economic challenges, UUK and GuildHE30, with support from UK 
Government Ministers and HEFCE,  produced a brochure to outli ne some of the ways that 
higher education can offer short and long-term he lp to businesses. This includes points of 
contact at higher education institutio ns for publicly funded business support31. 
In Denmark, the Danish Government launched an  ambitious and pro-active strategy to equip 
Denmark for the future. The strategy, whic h was published in April 2006, contains 350 
specific initiatives, which include extensive re forms of education and training programmes as 
well as research and entreprene urship, and also s ubstantial improvements in the framework 
conditions for growth and innovation in all areas  of society. Two key areas highlighted were: 
1. To set up a collaboration programme to strengthen cooperation between educational 
institutions and companies. 2. To have great er flexibility in short-cycle higher education 
programmes in relation to the ne eds of the labour market. Higher education internships for at 
least 3 to 6 months have been made compulsory in Denmark for students in the first cycle and 
are allocated ECTS points. Denmark has also introduced advisory panels of users at all 
institutions, as well as local educational panels. In order to introduce a new course, 
universities need to demonstrate labour market research that s hows there is a requirement for 
the course.  
In Finland, the new innovation strategy32 calls for the steering and financing system of 
universities will be renewed in order to support interaction be tween universities, trade and 
industry and other parts of society. 
The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the Netherlands set out an Education and 
Research Plan in 2004. Th e plan expressed the government po licy aims to achieve excellence 
and maximum participation in higher educat ion. Included in this was an emphasis on 
strengthening the rela tionship between higher education and business and industry. In the 
                                                 
30 UUK is Universities UK and GuildHE is an inclusive body, a key advocate for institutional diversity 
across higher education 
31 http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/Publications /Bookshop/Pages/DIUScrisisleaflet.aspx 
32 http://innovaatiostrategia.fi/en 
 
EN 16   EN Netherlands a number of national agencies  and committees support strong relationships 
between higher education institutions and i ndustry. The Advisory C ouncil on Science and 
Technology Policy (AWT), the Education Counc il, and the Social-Economic Council (SER) 
have all advocated the strengt hening of systematic partners hips between higher education 
institutions and their regions, including enterp rises in order to facilitate knowledge transfer. 
Policies include: collaboration on research and education projects, exchange of personnel, 
more flexible forms of learning, as well as co mpetence-based learning and the establishment 
of the Innovation Platform. The policies have resu lted in an increase in contract research and 
establishment of “strategic alliances ” between universities and industry33. 
4.3 Research into University-Business Cooperation 
The national data on bo th the need for higher education-bu siness engagement for skills and 
innovation and the actual level of engageme nt of universities and enterprises are 
underdeveloped. At Community level the FP7 Regions of Knowledge initiative aims 
specifically at the integration of  research capacity of universitie s to the service of the regional 
and local development within the frame of triple -helix-clusters (business entities, universities 
and local public authorities). There are, neve rtheless, some examples below from the UK, 
Ireland and Germany. 
The UK has a substantial amount of published data and research mainly due  to the targets of 
the Leitch Review34 and the Lambert Review on busin ess and university  collaboration.35 A 
large body of evidence has been put together  by the CIHE, the Coun cil for Industry and 
Higher Education.. which has recently produced  reports on the “Employer Demand for Higher 
Level Learning”, “Global Horizons and the Role  of Employers”, “Developing Entrepreneurial 
Mindsets” and “Graduate Employability” for example. 
The higher education sector in Ireland has re sponded to the demands of the labour market 
through a series of skills ini tiatives arising from recomme ndations of the Expert Group on 
Future Skills Needs (ESFSN). This governme nt-appointed body brings together industry, 
academia and State agencies in identifying overa ll skills requirements in the economy. The 
EGFSN analyses Ireland’s sk ills and labour needs and ma kes recommendations for new 
courses. 
The German Academic Exchange Servi ce (DAAD) carried out a project in 2006-2007, 
entitled University-Enterprise Cooperation, wh ich built on new challenges from past 
experience from 2006-2007. The project aimed to analyse the place of University-Enterprise 
cooperation in EU education and training policies to see how unive rsities have in tegrated this 
into their strategy and activities. An online survey  showed there was a need for structures to 
promote on-going dialogue and better understandi ng between universities and business. There 
is also a need for further professionalisatio n of higher education management (i.e. how to 
manage intellectual property, a nd costing policies, overheads, staff management, customizing 
service, research/continuing educ ation etc). Furthermore, the project found that universities 
and enterprises have different cultures and di fferent objectives with universities operating on 
long-term goals, and enterprises focussing on s hort-term solutions. Eleven institutions were 
                                                 
33 Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies Issues in higher education policy: An update on higher 
education policy issues in 2004 in 11 Western countries  (2004) 
34 http://www.dfes.gov.uk /furthereducation/uploads/documents/2006-12%20LeitchReview1.pdf 
35 http://www.hm-treasury.go v.uk/lambert_review_business_university_collab.htm 
 
EN 17   EN chosen for case studies, which revealed a number of exampl es of good practice including: 
student placements, mission stat ements/strategic plans and s upport structures and services. 
This research showed the benefit of making placements compulsory in initial education 
programmes, of developing entrepreneurship in education and training, and integrating 
continuing education into lifelong  learning strategies. In add ition, the need to upgrade the 
curriculum, to develop joint re search and to support the deve lopment of spin-off companies 
was highlighted. The report concluded that producing qualified workers for a European 
knowledge society can be achieved through joint stra tegies in structured networks, to mobilise 
resources, and respond to market needs. This requires permanent, yet flexible partnerships, 
and structured dialogue between univers ities, enterprises and policy-makers.36 
5. A CTIVITY AT THE MEMBER STATE LEVEL  
Whether prescribed or supported through law or po licy at the national or regional level, there 
are interesting examples of act ivities in the context of Univ ersity- Business  Cooperation 
taking place at the institutional level in the Member States. The University-Business Forum has been looking at cooperation in the areas of: 
• Governance 
• Curriculum Development 
• Mobility actions 
• Entrepreneurship 
• Continuing Education 
• Knowledge Transfer 
All of these areas are interlinked with many  initiatives which may be cross cutting or 
addressing wider agendas at the level of skills , innovation and creativity. The examples under 
each category in the following sections give a fl avour of the types of activities undertaken in 
the Member States. Where they touch on ot her important policy priorities (widening 
participation, gender balance, regional economic  development) this is highlighted. It is 
followed by a specific section on “other relate d issues and activities” which are supporting 
University-Business Cooperation thr ough other national policy agendas. 
In order to help illustrate the complex landscape of Univers ity-Business Cooperation and the 
stakeholders the following diagram maps links between the stakeholders and highlights the 
types of actions and outputs that are expected. 
                                                
 
36 University-Enterprise Cooperation: building on new challenges from past experience, Project Report, 
DAAD (2006) 
 
EN 18   EN Figure 3 - Actions and outputs of Univer sity-Business Coopera tion in Education  
5.1 Governance 
For Higher Education, modern governance refo rm normally means the introduction of more 
autonomy and responsiveness to society’s diverse needs. Institutions are being encouraged to 
increase their capacity and willingness to become  involved in a wider range of activities and 
to involve more stakeholders: this incl udes industry. Although industry involvement in 
modern university governance is limited, it is gr owing, and is playing a number of roles in 
governance structures. It can help universities to modernise their st ructures and funding 
models, it can help shape courses and degree struct ures at the strategic level, it can incentivise 
universities to engage with business, it can he lp universities in research and development 
decisions, representing the economy and societal issues. Engaging in governance can also be 
at the national and regional level, through or ganisations which mobilise industry and higher 
education to work together. The Member States are taking various appro aches to incentivising 
and improving engagement with industry. This is happening both at the policy level, through 
Education Councils, new bodies to promote Univ ersity- Business Cooperation, and also at the 
institutional level, through the advancement of  teaching staff’s careers, widening roles for the 
career advice centres and other incentives. At the same time, stronger collaboration with 
universities needs to be balanced  with the continued involvement  of students and teachers in 
the governance process. Effective governance needs to be inclusive. Universities also need to 
link their governance structures to their diverse missions and strategic priorities. Government
National/regional
Industry UniversityGovernment strategies/policies
Intermediary bodies (reps from education, students
 and industry)
Grants/loans/incentives
Outputs:
Joint curriculum development  
(development of 
entrepreneurship skills, 
workforce skills)
New degrees
Industry professors
Entrepreneurship chairs
Other staff exchanges
Student exchanges (internships)
New types of courses for LLL
New model careers services
Credits for internshipsGovernance models
Working groups (university/faculty)
Regional/sectoral groups
Contract managersActions for University Business Cooperation in Education
For staff
Incentives
New skills/knowledge
Recognition
New research ideas
Entrepreneurship
For students
New accreditation
Skills for jobs
EntrepreneurshipFor employers
Skilled workforce
Ongoing skills development
New ideas
For employees
LLL opportunities
New business ideas
Long term careersIntermediary bodies 
Skills forecasting
 Consulting government policy
Creation of common languages 
for dialogue and accreditation
Stimulate market demand
Links to VET 
 
EN 19   EN The University-Business Forum has demonstrated that changes in higher education 
governance at national regional and institutional level are core conditions for the development 
of effective collaboration between university and business. 
5.1.1 National level organisations 
In the UK, Ireland, Greece and Spain although ve ry different types of bodies, there are 
Councils and other organisations which help support the governance of  University-Industry 
Cooperation. The UK has three important or ganisations. The Council for Higher Education 
and Industry: CIHE37 is a high level partnership between people from a wide range of 
businesses, universities and coll eges. The Council leads in deve loping an agreed agenda on 
the learning issues at higher education level that affect the UK’s international competitiveness, social cohesion and individual development. The National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NCG E) was formed in 2004 with the aim of raising the profile of 
entrepreneurship and the option of starting a bu siness as a career choice amongst students and 
graduates. The Council is not only focuse d on graduates starting businesses, but 
understanding, developing and promoting a cultu re of entrepreneurship within higher 
education through research, education and facilitation
38. The majority of HEIs have an 
independent majority on their governing bodi es and the Leadership Foundation for Higher 
Education39 provides a dedicated servi ce of support and advice on leadership, governance and 
management for all the UK’s universitie s and higher education colleges.  
In Greece, the National Council for Educati on (Ethniko Symvoulio Paideias - ESYP)40 is an 
autonomous advisory body for the Ministry of Education. It ai m is to guarantee the widest 
consensus possible on issues relating to educational policy and practices, to create a 
community forum where dialogue can occur be tween a diverse group of policy makers, 
academics and community members resulting in improved educational opportunities in Greece. Since 2005, the Confederation of Greek indus tries has been involved in participating 
in the National Education Council to  represent the vi ews of industry. 
Ireland has a Joint Council: Irish Business and Employers Confederation and the Irish 
Universities Association. The Irish Business and Employers Confeder ation (IBEC)/Irish 
Universities Association (IUA) Joint Council prom otes collaboration between enterprise and 
universities and provides a foru m for university heads and seni or business people to discuss 
national and international issues of common interest.  
In Spain the universities’ Soci al Councils (Consejos Sociales),  are required by the national 
legislation and other policies as a mechan ism to link the university with important 
components of the economy, society and culture . The social councils however need to be 
improved and be credible both inside and outside  the university. Spain also has the CYD, the 
Knowledge and Development Foundation (F undación Conocimiento y Desarrollo)
41. CYD 
was created in 2002 at the initia tive of Spanish employers’ orga nisations and universities. Its 
mission is to showcase and promote the contribu tion of universities to  Spain’s economic and 
social development, and to build links between  universities and business. In its 2007 report on 
                                                 
37 http://www.cihe-uk.com/index.php 
38 http://www.ncge.com  
39 http://www.lfhe.ac.uk/ 
40 http://www.ypepth.gr/docs/what_is_the_national_council_for_education__esyp__080115.doc  
41 http://www.fundacioncyd.org/wps/portal 
 
EN 20   EN the “Contribution of Spanish Universities to De velopment” CYD analys es the role of the 
university system in Spain’s economic and social development 
From the business perspective, in Germany, Stifterverband is th e business community’s 
innovation agency for the German science system . It is a private sector-led approach to 
ensuring research and education excellence in science. It undertakes a number of programmes 
supporting this aim including looking at qualit y, career orientation, collaboration, encouraging 
dialogue and analysing research  structures in Germany. Stifterverband has been working on 
formulating legal guidelines for a more competitive university system and recently benchmarked state university laws in a major study. 
5.1.2 Institutional boards promoting cooperation 
In most Member States, university boards incl ude members from business and society in their 
governance structures in the broadest sense. In Austria, each univers ity has one university 
council with three members holding responsible positio ns in the societal, scientific, cultural or 
economic sector who must be external to the university and the public sector. In practice 
between 40 and 60% of the university council is from the business sector
42.  
There is a new law in Baden-Württemberg in Ge rmany which means that universities have an 
advisory board which is de facto the ruling bo dy. Karlsruhe is one of two universities that 
decided to have all 9 members of the board fr om outside of the university. There are also 
advisory boards at the faculty  level who advise on curriculum content and although they have 
no formal powers, there are between 3-7 exte rnal members on each board. The university has 
an alumni and careers service advisory board wh ich looks at key qualifications and soft skills. 
The University of Minho in Portugal has stro ng links with the regi on’s industry,  both with 
large companies and SMEs. Representatives of companies sit on the board of governors, and 
the topic of university–busin ess cooperation is often a subject for board meetings. 
Denmark has introduced advisory panels for a ll higher education institutions that include 
industry representatives,  in particular with a view to more communication with the regional 
economy 
There are still some issues in the implementation of new representative governance 
mechanisms. In Spain for example, the election of  representatives varies a lot across the HEIs 
and in spite of the participation of various st akeholders in the boards , the system is still 
thought to lack flexibility wh en it comes to the election of rectors. Often elected 
representatives are still lacking the requisite sk ills sets in management and leadership to be 
able to adequately fulfil all of their duties43. 
5.1.3 The expanding role of careers guidance and alumni 
Most universities have careers guidance for th e students’ careers after higher education. These 
services tend to be underutilised resources in Higher Education where flows of information to 
and from industry could be strengthened, as well as feedback from students entering the 
                                                 
42 The composition of every university council can be found at: 
http://www.portal.ac.at/owa/portal.overview_en?otp_id_in=6 
43 University Business Forum : Governance session Feb 2009. 
 
EN 21   EN labour market. In the past, careers services conne ctions have been domin ated by highly visible 
multinationals, which targeted universities. New tr ends in careers services include initiating 
greater contact with regiona l economies, including SMEs. A number of countries have 
national accreditation standards for careers guida nce practitioners and there is currently a 
project underway to look at putting together a comparable system acro ss Europe or certifying 
professionals.44  
The UK offers some good examples of how careers services ar e changing, involving 
businesses from the beginning of a student's ed ucation. Liverpool John Moores University, 
has changed the way it offers career advice to students through incorpor ating a new service: 
World of Work (or WoW skills) which is part of the degree offering. The university decided 
that higher education has an obligation to provide students  from the outset with such 
workplace skills as project management an d strategic thinking. WoW skills are being 
developed with organisations including Marks & Spencer, Pilkington, the National Health 
Service, Ford, Littlewoods, Shell and the CBI. Th ese organisations help decide what skills the 
students should have and are in charge of assessing them through external accreditation.  
The University of Lancaster, Centre for Empl oyability, Enterprise and Careers (CEEC - UK), 
has developed a number of new initiatives to engage employers in the region. CEEC focuses on its external role, engaging local enterprises and has emba rked on providing compulsory 
programmes of employability and enterprise ski lls relevant to all employers. The University 
of Manchester Careers Service (Manchester L eadership Programme, Careers & Employability 
Division), is working with la rge companies and SMEs to develop placements but also to 
support local business by involvi ng SMEs in curriculum developm ent, by partnering with 13 
other careers services in the region to offer a pool of 50,000 students placement and graduate 
jobs, and to help SMEs acce ss resources at universities. 
Raising Employers’ Awareness about the Bologna  Process (REABP) is a 16th month project, 
partially funded by the EU w ith 4 participating institu tions from the Coimbra group. 
Targeting careers services and employers, the project aims to create an interactive dialogue 
between universities and employers. The Careers Service also participates in FEDORA, the 
European Forum for Student Guidance. With a 3-year rotating cycle of conferences, 
congresses, and summer universities the Forum provides an opportunity for careers guidance 
professionals to exchange knowle dge and share examples of be st practice across different 
institutions and countries. 
At the TU Berlin45, the careers service has taken on a role to help promote entrepreneurship in 
students, graduates and young researchers. They ar e using the self employed as role models or 
ambassadors to come into the university. As pa rt of this the university organises panel 
discussions with employed and self-employed sp eakers on topics such as career building, 
work-life balance etc. It coope rates with TU graduates who have founded their own company 
– for example as guest speakers in presentations, lectures and conferences and as mentors. As well as continually reviewing their own serv ice the TU is working on transferring the 
concepts developed to other Technical Univer sities in Germany and on a European level. 
                                                
 
44 International Association for Educational and Vocational guidance 
45 http://www.career .tu-berlin.de/ 
 
EN 22   EN 5.2 Curriculum Development 
Employability has been at the heart of curricu lum reform called for in the Bologna process, 
but with varying degrees of  attention and success.  
The forum on curriculum development organi sed by the European Commission (held at 
Tenerife, 30th – 31st October 2008) stressed th e heterogeneity of the landscape of higher 
education policy, universities and employers  in Europe. Although the advantages of 
cooperation are clear, there is no  one single mechanism, but ma ny which will fit the different 
contexts of individual, regional and national approaches. However common threads included: 
the need to demonstrate quality and relevanc e of study to the labour market, the need for 
continuous, structured dialogue over time, incen tive systems for universities, widening the 
roles of alumni and career se rvices and providing a common language for dialogue and skills 
The range of practice across Europe includes: – Organisations/enterprise s involved in influencin g curriculum development 
– Joint courses between sectors and universities/facilities 
– Involvement in the development of learning outcomes 
– Quality assurance 
More extensive dialogue with the business sector  at the faculty and university level can be 
very beneficial for the redefinition of kno wledge, skills and competences required by 
graduates and for setting in place cooperative learning.  
5.2.1 Organisations involved in infl uencing curriculum development 
For enterprises, getting involved with curricul um development is often a gradual process. 
Initial contact for enterprise often happens through careers fairs or interviews with students. A second step might be the involvement in stud ent or staff placements or guest lecturing. 
Collaborative research or joint partnering in developing qualifications is more complex. In 
most cases this is done through industry asso ciations (eg UIMM in France), unless companies 
are large multinationals with the ability to mobilise significant re sources in this area (eg SAS, 
Schlumberger, Telefonica, Shell). In the case of large firms, there is often scope for them to 
have an individual strategy towards how they woul d like to work with the University sector. 
SAS
46 for example has a global acad emic programme and works with over 4000 institutions 
worldwide and 67 in the UK. The company strate gy in this area aims to link customers and 
universities, to create internships and special pr ogrammes for students, to work with academic 
thought leaders and to develop flagship schools. 
Enterprise: Schlumberger – University Relations 
Through their Ambassador Programme, Schlumberger  is working with about 45 universities 
worldwide. Schlumberger works directly with  faculties and although the company does not 
specify course content, the company emphasise s the need for teamwork, communication skills 
                                                 
46 http://www.sas.com/ 
 
EN 23   EN and a commitment to learning. Schlumberger sends scientists and engineers to universities to 
give demonstrations to staff. The company al so provides experts to teach specific subjects, 
such as petroleum engineering . 
SMEs, find it harder to work directly with unive rsities, especially in curriculum development 
where they often need generic high level skills rather than specific courses designed for their 
requirements. 
There are numerous sector or ganisations involved in curr iculum development. In many 
Member States, the engineering societies are involved in curr iculum development and quality 
assurance of education (and indeed at the European level through SEFI). The Finnish 
Association of Gra duate Engineers, TEK47 is a professional organi sation that promotes high-
quality engineering education. TEK contributes  to a working group of key stakeholders in 
engineering education in Finland. In the UK, the Sector Skills Councils are working with 
universities. 
The Telematica Instituut is a consortium of companies and knowledge institutions in the 
Netherlands that form a public-private partners hip that is responsible for the management, 
financing and research of the technologica l institute. Companies contribute knowledge and 
money to the institute and courses, and students gain  from their expertise. 
SEFI – The European Society for Engineering Education - Working Group on Curriculum 
Development (CDWG) 
The CDWG aims to provide a fo rum for people interested in th e development of Engineering 
Education in Europe. The CDWG consists of pe ople highly involved in all aspects of modern 
engineering education.  
The CDWG is interested in the following: 
– The integration of developments in scie nce and technology in engineering education 
– Mobility and exchange in engineerin g education at the European level 
– Incorporation of new demands like: life-long learning and dist ance learning in Engineering 
Education 
– Implementation of active learning met hods in the engineering curricula 
– Enhancing Engineering Educa tion by new technologies 
– Quality care and accreditation 
– Faculty development and teacher training. 
                                                 
47 TEK represents graduates working as engineers or  in the field of technology and anticipates the 
changing needs of the labour ma rket and the education system 
 
EN 24   EN 5.2.2 Joint courses between sector s and universities/facilities 
In the UK, ITMB (BSc (Hons) in Inform ation Technology Management for Business48 is a 
new IT degree course available at a number of  Universities. It was designed by some of the 
biggest employers in the IT industry and funded by the UK govern ment. The goal is to ensure 
that graduates with an ITMB degree are tailo r-made for the IT industry. Rather than focus 
purely on technical areas the de gree covers a mix of skills and knowledge for students who 
want management or senior professional car eers designing, develo ping and implementing 
technology solutions for businesse s. Business, project management , and personal skills are as 
important as technical skills in this degree49. 
Hewlett Packard (HP) Bulgaria supports eSkills development w ith university students and 
strengthens their qualifications for the internat ional labour market. Last year HP Bulgaria 
supported three universities in o ffering specially designed modules  to be taught in technology 
labs donated by HP to help graduates gain some  of these specific skills. The modules have a 
strong focus on practical implementation, with 30  hours of lectures coupled with 30 hours of 
practical lab work in the HP IT laboratories. Th e participating universities were the University 
of Sofia, the Technical University and the New Bulgarian University. 
Although most examples of curriculum developmen t with industry are in science, engineering 
and business schools, there is a growing involve ment in the arts , humanities and social 
sciences. The University of Economics, Prag ue, Czech Republic, in cooperation with the 
Association of Communications Agencies (AKA ), has introduced a curriculum, based on a 
blueprint developed by the European Associa tion of Communication Agencies (EACA). It 
involves taught courses, visits to companies and participation in gr oup discussions, case 
studies, based on individua l firms’ specifications and, fina lly, written/oral ‘state’ exams. 
Professionals from the business world are heav ily involved in lectures  and the examination 
board. Successful completion of the programme  leads to a Certificate awarded by both the 
University of Economics and the Associ ation of Communications Agencies (AKA). 
The Royal College of Art and Imperial College  London in the UK offer a joint Masters course 
(MA+MSc) for artistic and technical graduates. The graduates work in the consumer industry, 
industrial product design, design management, architecture/bu ilding design, or the digital 
industries. Some of the student s are entrepreneurs with start- up companies. There are several 
aspects of business/industry involvement: the students often work with commercial project 
partners who contribute to thei r projects; the course also runs some modules with company 
sponsorship; there are summer project oppor tunities with industr y or summer work 
placements with partners such as Sony, Unile ver, Proctor & Gamble, B&Q, Dyson, Targetti 
Lighting, BTG, and Bank of America. 
There are also examples of universities teaming up with the public sector to improve courses. 
The University of Warwick, UK, has adapted th e curriculum for a course on Clinical Systems 
Improvement in accordance with the needs of the National Health Service. The course 
examines how to provide better healthcare by improving processes, leadership, knowledge 
                                                 
48 http://www.e-skills.com/itmb/1754  
49 ITMB is the only Honours degree endorsed by e-skills UK, who officially represent the IT industry to government 
in the UK. The ITMB degree is supported by BA, BBC, BT, CA, The Cabinet Office , Cisco, Deloitte, Ford, 
Fujitsu, HP, IBM, Lehman Brothers, Logica, The Met O ffice, Morgan Stanley, Norwich Union, Royal Bank of 
Scotland, Sainsbury's, Southampton City Council, Syma ntec and Unilever.  
 
EN 25   EN transfer and systems design, and includes less ons learnt from public  and private sector 
organisations related to health care and outsi de of health. The NHS Institute for Innovation 
and Improvement held a conference to bring toge ther various stakeholders who were able to 
contribute to a discussion on service improvement , with the aim of consensus regarding what 
a curriculum for Clinical Systems Impr ovement should be designed to achieve. 
5.2.3 Involvement in the development of le arning outcomes based certification 
At the European leve l, the Tuning project50 (Tuning Educational Structures in Europe) is 
supporting the Bologna process through use of  a methodology to “(re-) design, develop, 
implement and evaluate study programmes for each of the Bologna cycles. It develops 
reference points in study programmes to help make them comparable, compatible and transparent across countries. These reference points are expressed in terms of learning 
outcomes and competences. Part of the Tuning methodology is to ensure that for all study 
programmes, a social need for the programme ha s been identified and that it has been done on 
the basis of consultation of stakeholders. 
A European Tempus project developing a joint software engineering master’s course across 
four universities in Germany, Serbia, Spain an d the UK has involved th e European Software 
Institute (ESI) in reviewing the course curricul um as well as involving local advisory boards 
in the participating countries. 
5.2.4 Quality assurance and accreditation  
Quality assurance has an important role to pl ace in the recognition of  University- Business 
Cooperation in most of its forms. The form al responsibility for quality assurance is 
increasingly taken by higher education instit utions themselves. Institutional management, 
academics and, to a lesser extent, students, are influential when it comes to setting the rules 
for quality assessment in their institutions. The Mi nistry of Education (o r its equivalent) plays 
a significant role in several countries. Its role is  more to ensure that the institutions take their 
responsibilities seriousl y, although the task of evaluating th is is frequently delegated to 
independent national agencies for quality assu rance (either through ac creditation, evaluation 
or audit).  
It is still rare to find quality assurance whic h includes measurements relating to University- 
Business Cooperation or third stream activit ies. In Greece HQAA is the supervising and 
coordinating independent agency for the quality assurance system  in higher education. Within 
their external evaluation template  there are questions such as: 
– How were the objectives of the curriculum decided? 
– Which factors were taken into account? 
– Were they set against appropriate benchmarks? 
– Did the unit consult other stakeholders?
51 
                                                 
50 http://tuning.unideusto.org/tuningeu 
51 See External Evaluation Template 
http://www.hqaa.gr/file s/template%20for%20the%20External%20Evaluation%20Report.pdf 
 
EN 26   EN In Hungary, the new HE Quality Award focu ses on the labour market relevance of the 
programmes. The ENQA Report on Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area of 2005
52 addresses the issue of working with industry and 
calls for “regular feedback from employers and labour market representatives, for instance, to 
be included in quality assuranc e of programmes/awards/instituti ons.” There is however little 
evidence of progress in this area.  
ENQA – Standards and Guidelines 
The ENQA fulfils the role of a European fo rum for developing standards and guidelines on 
quality assurance, as part of this job it aims to find common points in European quality 
assurance systems. In order to achieve this , the ENQA works with a number of partner 
organisations including: Europ ean University Association (E UA), European Association of 
Institutions in Higher Education (EURAS HE), European Students’ Union (ESU), 
BusinessEurope, Education International.  The ENQA organises tran snational projects to 
disseminate information with the long-term aim of establishing a quality  assurance framework 
across the European Higher Education Area. 
There are a number of accredita tion agencies which include business representatives in their 
decision making body. ACQUIN in Germany, HETAC in Ireland and CTI in France for example. CTI is responsible for engineerin g curricula and counts an equal number of 
members from academia and from industry. Tran sversal skills and inte ractions of students 
with industry are core re quirements for accreditation. 
5.3 More effective continuing education and training/retraining (Lifelong Learning) 
Education, skills and qualifications are important  determinants in people’s employability but 
the need to update and acquire skills does not st op on first entry into the labour market. There 
is a growing need for ongoing education to k eep the workforce up to date and economically 
competitive. 
Continuing education therefore pl ays an important role in the delivery of relevant and timely 
knowledge and skills. Continuing education also  opens the door to widening participation. 
With education in this area being closely co upled to job opportunities for the future, it is 
increasingly necessary for enterprise and repres entative organisations to have an influence on 
company training, labour market training and new entry routes to learning. 
Widening participation 
The need to widen participati on in higher education is recognised as a key issue within the 
European Union. An estimated 4-5 % of over-30s in the US are involved in lifelong learning 
of some kind whereas the European figure is less than 2%53. Widening particip ation addresses 
the large discrepancies in the take-up of higher education opportuni ties between different 
social groups. Under-representation is closely connected with broader issues of equity and 
social inclusion and concerned with ensuring equality of oppor tunity for disabled students, 
mature students, women and men, and all ethnic groups. 
                                                 
52 www.bologna-bergen2005.no/Docs/00-Main_doc/050221_ENQA_report.pdf 
53 EUA figs 
 
EN 27   EN The Glasgow Declaration (2005) stated that ‘E urope needs strong and cr eative universities as 
key actors in shaping the European knowledge society through their commitment to widen 
participation and lifelong learning, and by th eir promotion of quality and excellence in 
teaching, learning, research and innovation activities. The European Commission drew up its 
communication in October 2006 called 'It's never t oo late to learn'. The paper, subsequently 
adopted by EU government leaders, urged that lifelong learning be the core of the Lisbon 
2010-process and that in effect the whole of the EU should become a learning area. 
The EUA (European Universities Association) drafted a charter of Lifelong Learning in 2008. 
The document sets out 10 policy commitment s ranging, among other things, from wider 
access to learning, diversifying the student popul ation and increasing the attractiveness of 
study programmes to the embracing of lifelong lear ning in a quality culture, strengthening the 
relationship between research, teaching and innova tion, and developing part nerships at local, 
regional, national and in ternational level. All of which resonate with University-Business 
Cooperation and relate to wideni ng participation, reaching out to otherwise unengaged groups 
as well as returners to education. 
The forum on continuing education organised by the European Commissi on (held in Brussels 
on 30 June 2008) concluded that Universities should recognise the im portance of LLL within 
their mission, policy and strategy. Re levant incentives are required to engage universities into 
LLL (for universities as organi sation and for its staff). Th e importance of different 
stakeholders was highlighted – depending on the na tional, regional or local context - such as 
local authorities and other intermediate players, in particular for SMEs. In order to fulfil their 
role in the continued learning context, universit ies need to offer more flexible courses which 
respect the training needs and time schedules of all people, including thos e in employment. In 
order to define the demand for new skills on local level and develop a comprehensive lifelong learning strategy, universities s hould involve intermediary business organisations, since they 
can offer a different perspective on the market n eeds and be particularly  helpful in developing 
new and adequate skills profiles for the SMEs. 
The BeFlex project, funded by the former Socr ates programme, monitored the development of 
university lifelong learning (ULLL) in the reformed structure of higher education 
qualifications (the Bologna process). The 2007 report included a benchmark of the reforms 
undergone by over 300 universitie s. Findings showed that 79% of universities surveyed had 
either an existing LLL policy/st rategy or one in preparation. However, 30% of respondents 
said that LLL was not yet a high priority. 
In Croatia, the Law of Scienc e Activities and th e Higher Education (2003) places lifelong 
learning programmes with the uni versity context. The University of Zagreb supports the 
professional development and upgrading of comp etence of former graduates through a new 
component of LLL as specific educational serv ice to the higher e ducation graduates. 
5.3.1 New institutes for lifelong learning 
Greece is currently developing new lifelong learning institutes
54 which will provide high level 
lifelong learning programmes in Universities a nd Technical Education Institutions (TEIs). 
LLL Institutes are the first systematic attempt towards the development of a LLL strategy in 
                                                 
54 Law 3369/2005 
 
EN 28   EN Greek Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). One of the objectives is to develop a closer 
relationship between universities,  TEIs and the business sector in order to update graduates’ 
knowledge and skills to make th em fit for the labour market. It also aims to bring new 
knowledge on technology and communicati on to the existing labour force.  
The legislative framework for lifelong learning is rather new in Greece and provides for the 
establishment of the National Lifelong Learning  Committee which consists of representatives 
of the Ministry of National Educ ation and Religious Affairs, th e Ministry of Employment and 
Social Protection, the Ministry of  Internal Affairs as well as representatives of the social 
partners (employers and employees), of trad e unions, the Rectors’ Conference, and of the 
relevant agencies. 
As part of a Socrates Project, Hungary put together a national High er Education Lifelong 
Learning network.55 Almost 50,000 people in Hungary are now taking pos t- graduate 
specialist training and higher-level vocational tr aining courses. In the Netherlands, the Dutch 
National Agency for Lifelong Learning was launched in 2007 to take responsibility for 
managing lifelong learning programmes and pr omote the EU lifelong learning programme 
and European mobility. The Open Universiteit Nederland has also formed the Netherlands 
Laboratory for Lifelong Learning with th e aim to research lifelong learning. 
Lifelong learning in Finland – Univ ersity Continuing Education Network56 
University Continuing Education Network UCEF  is a cooperative organisation for the UCE 
institutions in Finnish Univer sities. Every Finnish university is represented in the network, 
usually by their UCE director. UCEF was founde d in 1990. The headquar ters is located at 
Helsinki University of Technology Lifelong Learning Institute Dipoli. 
The Krems University57 in Austria is a University for C ontinuing Education. It started in 1995 
with 93 students, increasing to 4000 student s by 2008. It is now the largest provider of 
postgraduate continuing e ducation in Austria. 
The Lifelong Learning Institute at the University  of Leicester offers a range of activities 
including adult learning, professional developmen t, research and social, cultural and artistic 
events, as well as a counselling and psychot herapy programme. The institute works closely 
with partners in the region including ente rprises, secondary education, public sector 
organisations, and voluntary bodies. The instit ute offers part-time degrees, diplomas and 
certificates in several subject ar eas, and in many cases financial assistance to learners through 
government schemes. 
5.3.2 New courses and adaptation of existing university programmes  
Universities which are widening their market to attract returners to education often need to 
include new methods of learning in order to adapt to the need s of people in employment with 
little time to devote to structur ed learning. Another important issue is the accreditation. In 
Hungary, Higher Education Institutes now have more autonomy to deli ver lifelong learning 
and are introducing shorter vocat ional training programmes in to the universities. Higher 
                                                 
55 Hungarian Higher Education Life long Learning Network: MELLearN 
56 http://www.dipoli.tkk.f i/uce/english/info.html 
57 http://www.donau-uni.ac.at/en/index.php 
 
EN 29   EN Education institutes now have the right to prov ide short programmes to meet labour market 
needs and can validate non-formal and informal learning. 
In Malta: there is now an initiative  concerning ‘Workers return to learn’58: A diploma 
programme has been jointly developed between MCAST (Malta College of Arts, Science and 
Technology) and the Federation of Industry in Malta . It is specifically ai med at adult learners 
who have acquired skills and competences thro ugh informal and non-formal routes, but have 
not acquired much formal education. The diplom a is delivered in the classroom and in the 
workplace. It is split into 40-hour study units, each covering a different aspect of 
manufacturing and includes mentor ed training and practical wor k. Participants who are self 
funded will receive a 100% reimbursement in th e form of income tax credits from the 
government. Firms sponsoring their employees' f ees will receive a 17.5 per cent company tax 
credit. Enterprises such as Playmobil Ltd, To ly Products Ltd, Trelleborg Ltd and Actavis Ltd 
have endorsed the diploma and have committed to offer a number of sponsorships over a number of years. MCAST has also produced an  employer’s guide to vocational training in 
collaboration with the Federation of Industry . 
In Western Sweden, three universities have de veloped tailor-made distance learning courses 
for SME employees. “Better Con cept” was initiated in 2003 with a year’s funding, proving so 
popular that the Swedish universitie s of Borås, Skövde and Väst de cided to develop it further. 
Western Sweden is continuing to fund the sche me, and many SMEs in remote areas of the 
region are participating, gaining access to fu rther education they mi ght not have had the 
chance of otherwise. Originally two main probl ems had been perceived in the region: first, 
there was no established connection between research, academic resources and SMEs. Secondly, the education level of SME employees n eeded to be at a high er level for companies 
to be competitive. The primary purpose of Be tter Concept is to cont ribute to the region’s 
business and industry development by training SME employees. The courses are university 
accredited and the credits gained can count towards a degree
59. 
5.3.3 Recognition of prior learning 
In encouraging lifelong learning, pa rticularly in employees, recogni tion of prior learning is an 
important incentive. In Belgium (Fl) comple mentary to the introduc tion of the Bachelor-
Master’s structure, the Flemish Government ha s put in place a new regulatory framework for 
flexible learning paths in higher education. From January 2008 a new funding model was put 
in place in higher education which favoured lifelong learning provisi on. Higher education 
institutions have modularised their study prog rammes and students have more choice in the 
number of credits they take. All higher educatio n institutions have also developed a system to 
assess and recognise all fo rms of prior learning.  
In France, the Chambre de Métiers et de l'Ar tisanat du Val de Marne trains heads of craft 
businesses with, normally, less than fifteen employees. There are 900, 000 such businesses in 
the country, bakers, builders and so forth. Th e network of chambres nationwide is now 
working with HE institutions on the development of professional and accredited qualifications for craft workers taking into account existing knowledge. 
                                                
 
58 http://www.mcast.edu.mt/downloads/quicklinks/employers_guide.pdf 
59 http://www.venetonanot ech.it/files/index.cfm 
 
EN 30   EN 5.4 Mobility 
Enabling mobility of staff and students betwee n universities and busine sses is an important 
mechanism to facilitate greater understandin g between the two cultures, and to develop 
meaningful, long-lasting relationships. Mobi lity of personnel between universities and 
industry facilitates knowledge tr ansfer, collaboration for research and technology transfer, and 
can influence curriculum development. 
For staff, such mobility is likely to include fl exible career paths encompassing both university 
and business either one after the other, or in simultane ous employment. This would 
necessitate recognition, in terms of career progression and financia l recompense, of the skills, 
and experience gained in each sector by the other. 
Between 2007 and 2013, 2 billion Euros will be spent via FP7 in order to foster collaboration 
between higher education institu tions and their business partne rs. Marie Curie Initial Training 
Networks will ensure that postgraduate and post doctoral researchers are able to move around 
Europe and the rest of the worl d to work in the best institut es and receive business-relevant 
training. 
For students, mobility, in the form of internships and work placements alongside or 
sandwiched within university courses, provides  an ideal opportunity to build awareness of 
potential career paths and industr y and markets relevant to their course of study. Furthermore, 
for students, work placements provide ideal learning opportunities fo r the development of 
relevant skills, and place in context the skills  they have gained at university, and encourage 
aspiration for further skills they aim to gain in the fu ture. In addition, internships can lead to 
future employment.  
Although there is a growing nu mber of mobility programme s across Europe, including 
mobility from university to industry, it remains selective and overall, interaction between the 
two sectors is most commonly found in science a nd engineering, and still at a relatively low 
level. 
Where established mobility programmes exist, there is a growing tr end to recognise and 
accredit these work placements, especially for st udents. For staff, mobility is currently even 
less common, and universities rare ly recognise work in industry. 
5.4.3 Mobility of academic s to and from industry 
There are a number of barriers which hamper th e mobility of academics to work in industry, 
for example a lack of accreditation and recogniti on of such work by unive rsities or in some 
cases legal barriers (socia l security; pension).  
This has never really been an issue in the US , where dual career path s for professors, i.e. 
spending time in private industry and in highe r education institutions, are widespread. There 
are also good examples in Europe, in Ireland, pers onnel in universities have the option to use 
one day a week to pursue thei r own interests/consultancy wor k. In Norway, professor II is a 
position where professors spend 20 % of their time in industry. Their work in industry is 
acknowledged and they receiv e additional salary from i ndustry corresponding to their 
services, often in addition to th eir regular salary. In the Nether lands ‘extraordinary professors 
‘(bijzondere hoogleraren) are doctorates comi ng from industry and employed to work for 
universities. Their number grew  significantly during the 1980s. For example, the University 
 
EN 31   EN of Utrecht had about 430 ordinary professors  and 120 extraordinary professors in 1998. These 
positions are useful for promoting mobility be tween industry/interest groups and academia, 
and, furthermore represent a source of  financial support for universities. 
Also via the FP7 the Marie Curie Industry-Acad emia Partnership and Pathways action seeks 
to facilitate mobility of researchers between  public research organizations and private 
commercial enterprises, in particular SMEs . Some 350 million Euros will be spent breaking 
down barriers which hamper mobility between these two sectors. 
These examples show two themes associated with mobility: freeing time for academics to 
work in industry, and recogniti on of their work by both universi ties and enterprises, in terms 
of career path, and pay. 
Royal Phillips Electronics Public R&D Programmes 
Phillips has over 100 projects w ith public R&D programmes in Europe with many research 
contracts with universities.  They receive many visiting students, R&D trainees and 
postdoctoral students. The company benef its from the knowledge , including the tacit 
knowledge, of researchers, and benefit from the mobile exchange between academia and 
industry for Open Innovation. Furthermore, the company encourages lifelong learning 
through the Van der Pol Program which has four le vels from trainee to principal acting as a 
host for academics from MSc, PhD, Postdocs, and Visiting Principal Scientists.  
5.4.3 Industry Chairs: members of industry ch airing or contributing to university 
boards 
In the other direction industry is spending time in higher education. The Spanish company 
Telefonica has relationships with 169 universiti es in 39 countries around the world. In Madrid 
alone they have 50 joint projects with universitie s. One of their main methods of working is 
through industry professorships - chairs set up  jointly by university a nd industry. There are 
now 15 chairs throughout the world and th is initiative represents a good permanent 
relationship between the company and academia . These chairs are an evolving mechanism 
and since 2008, Telefonica is focusing on how to us e them to come closer  to societal issues 
(health education, IT gaps), to improve outr each through the dissemination of new knowledge 
and through exploring social networking 
In Austria another instrument set up is the ‘f oundation professorship’ (a  form of cooperation 
between universities and the priv ate sector), exemplified alr eady by the relationship between 
the Magna Group and Graz Univ ersity of Technology. Ma gna is financing three 
professorships at Graz Universi ty of Technology until 2014, wher eas the universit y, in turn, 
has set up a separate Department for Automob ile Engineering. In the UK the University of 
Strathclyde Hunter Centre fo r Entrepreneurship, a social  investment by the Hunter 
Foundation, is led by both an executive director with a b ackground in business, and an 
academic director. 
5.4.4 Student internships 
The mobility of students is most commonly perf ormed through internships, research projects, 
and schemes integrated within their course of  study. There is already a strong tradition of 
work placements associated with degrees, partic ularly in engineering and sciences. However 
in the past, these have tended to be more uns tructured: the “work pl acements” often involved 
 
EN 32   EN the student becoming a normal employee for a shor t time rather than working on a specific 
project relating to his or her degree. 
The situation in Europe is mixed although ma ny countries have well-developed internship 
programmes (The Netherlands, UK, France and Denmark for example). The expanding 
careers services are increasingly taking the re sponsibility for organising and managing the 
process as part of the student experience with in the university. In Denmark, internships are 
now a compulsory part of the de gree programme. At the university level, the University of 
Groningen, Netherlands, incorporates  traineeships as a compulso ry part of degree courses. 
Students can undertake placements throughout Eu rope, and approximately 40% chose to go 
abroad. Individual faculties are responsible fo r organising placements, and each faculty has a 
students’ placement bureau and liaison officer to  help students find the most appropriate 
placement. Efforts are made by the university to ensure the quality of the placements, and the available mentoring for the students. Each bu reau holds a database of placements, with 
feedback from previous participan ts to inform future students. 
60 In Valencia, ADEIT61 is an 
organisation with the specific ob jective of linking the university to its social environment. 
University students are placed in either or ganisations or enterpri ses of the Valencian 
Community and in the other countries of th e European Union. ADEIT places 1500 students a 
year with companies. Another key area of wo rk is training for tutors on both sides of the 
placement. ADEIT including placements in banks (UNECAM) and professor internships 
where professors work in companies for up to 100 hours.  
Turku Academic Career Services (Rekry) is a joint service of universities in Turku and the 
Turku Employment Office in Finland. Rekry provides information on job openings and job 
seeking for students and graduates. Career counselling, seminars an d info-days are also 
provided. In addition, Rekry serv es companies and public author ities as a cha nnel for finding 
interns, and students to do their theses on subj ects important to the company. The University 
of Turku has the alumni and mentoring program mes which both try to support at least partly 
student mobility from the university to the la bour market. Within the mentoring programme 
the person with work experience guides student at  the graduating phase to direct final studies, 
look for job, write CVs etc. The mentor can also use their own networks to find work 
opportunities for the student 
There are also examples of universities running international internships (external to 
Erasmus). The Oxford University Internationa l Internship Programme (OUIIP) was launched 
in 2008. The programme provides u ndergraduates with the opportuni ty to spend their summer 
working in a sponsoring organi sation in another country. Th e Erasmus University in the 
Netherlands does not separate out international internships from its internship programme which is coordinated through the careers servi ces. In some of the international master’s 
programmes the internships abroad are compulsory. 
DANUBE – European Programmes for Tr aining Research and Technology 
The European Programmes for Training, Rese arch and Technology is represented by the 
organisation, DANUBE, in Vienna. The missi on of DANUBE is to promote university-
enterprise cooperation. This activity was initiated through the University Enterprise Training 
                                                 
60 University-Enterprise Cooperation: Building on new challenges from past experience, DAAD (2006) 
61 http://www.adeit.uv.es/ 
 
EN 33   EN Partnership (UETP). DANUBE has a large number  of industry contacts and promotes the 
value of placements, and through the Leo-Net network promotes placements through the 
programme Job Offer Exchange for Leonardo tr aineeships, providing placements for students 
both nationally and intern ationally, in which over 120 Euro pean universities take part. The 
trainee produces a work programme agreed upon by both the university and the placement 
company and is later assessed by the two institutions.  
From the enterprise perspective, in France the Union des Industrie s et Métiers de la 
Métallurgie (UIMM) suppor ts a national initiative to fina nce and support student placements 
in enterprises. One key outcome of the placement programme points to the need to make employers meet the universities and their stude nts and explain their needs. While undertaking 
placements, students need access to counselling and guidance. There is also a need to ensure 
proper mechanisms in place for knowledge transf er. In the UK, Shell Step, sponsored by 
Shell, is a programme which has been running fo r a number of years acro ss the country and is 
focused on placing undergraduates into SMEs a nd community organisations to undertake a 
specific business or technical projects driv en by the needs of the host business. The 
programme has the dual aim of communicating to small business managers the impact an 
undergraduate can have on their bus iness and encourages undergra duates to consider starting 
a career within the sm all business sector. It has been highly successful and favourably 
evaluated as to the impact the scheme, not only on the skills of the student but on the 
absorptive capacities of the SMEs who have taken students. 
5.5 Entrepreneurship 
The contribution of entrepreneurship has im pacts at many levels: the individual, the 
educational institution, wider society and th e economy. Higher education provides an ideal 
opportunity to foster entrepreneurial qualities among potential economic actors to bring about 
significant enhancement in business performance and competitiveness.  
The European Commission has played an active  role in fostering entrepreneurship for a 
number of years. The Brussels European C ouncil of 23/24 March 2006 "underlines the need 
of creating an overall positive entrepreneur ial climate and of appropriate framework 
conditions that facilitate and encourage entrep reneurship and therefor e invites the Member 
States to strengthen respective measures, incl uding through entrepreneurship education and 
training at the appropriate le vel of education." The Conference on “Entrepreneurship 
Education in Europe: Fostering Entrepreneur ial Mindsets through Edu cation and Learning” 
was an initiative of the European Commi ssion jointly organised with the Norwegian 
government which took place in Oslo on 26-27 October 2006. Through a number of 
workshops and presentations of examples of Good Practice
62, the conference elaborated 
concrete initiatives on how to put the reco mmendations of the Co mmission Communication 
into practice63. 
There are numerous examples of universities encouraging entrepreneurship development in 
Europe, many of which are covered in the re port by the BEST group “Entrepreneurship in 
                                                 
62 http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/entrepreneurship/support_measures/training_education/ 
oslo/oslo_pres.htm 
63 Communication from the Commission COM/2006/0033 final: Implementing the Community Lisbon 
Programme: Fostering entrepreneurial mindsets through education and learning 
 
EN 34   EN Higher Education, especially in non-business st udies: Final report of th e expert group March 
2008”64. 
The Lahti University of Applied Sciences (Finland)  created a programme called “Business 
Succession School”65, linking students with business owners  who are looking for a successor. 
This is a training programme for universities of applied sciences  providing the skills to plan 
and run a controlled transmission of  the enterprise to the student, who will be able to continue 
the profitable business and ensure business rege neration. This practice — piloted in the Lahti 
University of Applied Sciences — is being ex tended to ten other univ ersities of applied 
sciences in Finland . (Best Report 2008) 
The concept of the ‘entrepreneurial university ’ is becoming more prevalent in Europe and 
much has been written on it. The Technical Un iversity of Munich de scribes itself as and 
‘entrepreneurial universit y’. It lives in the mi dst of an ecosystem of major global players, 
Siemens, BMW etc. The chair of the supervisor y board is one of the major shareholders of 
BMW. The overarching aim of the university co-operation is to change perception amongst 
young people and support their ca pacity to start and grow bus inesses of the future. The 
university Centre for Innovation and Business Creation was esta blished with the mission to 
encourage and enable entrepre neurship - the Centre for Innovation and Business Creation was 
founded in 2002. It has 40 employees and is an associated Institute of the university.  
5.5.1 Embedding entrepreneurship in the curricula 
There are growing numbers of both optional entrepreneurship courses to be taken alongside 
degrees as well as interdisciplinary approaches to embedding entrepreneurship in the curricula. 
The University of Wolverhampton  (UK) is coordinating the SPEED project ( Student 
Placements for Entrepreneurs in Education )
66, a network of 13 institu tions to help students 
develop self-employment opportun ities as an altern ative to traditiona l work placements. 
Students present their business ideas to a panel.  If accepted, they are offered a placement of 9 
to12 months. Each student is helped to deve lop a personal and business development plan, 
and is given access to one or more mentors select ed for their experience in a related area. The 
placement may be full time, as part of a sandwic h degree course, or part time alongside their 
academic studies. Each student is supported by a mixture of bursary payments, finance for 
business related activities and professional se rvices. The institution provides additional 
resources in the form of incubation facilities and skills training. Where possible a SPEED placement will be credit bearing fo r the student. (Best Report 2008)  
At Wuppertal University
67 (Germany) entrepreneurship ed ucation modules are offered as 
compulsory or optional classes in all relevant undergraduate courses . In addition, there is a 
specially designed Master’s course cal led “Start Up, Innovation and Economic 
Development”. Teaching is always highly pr oblem-oriented, student-centred and inter-
                                                 
64 BEST procedure project: Entrepreneurship in Higher Education, especially in non-business studies: 
Final report of the expert group March 2008  
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/entrepreneurship/support_measures/training_education/entr_highed.pdf 
65 www.jatkajakoulu.fi 
66 www.speedproject.ac.uk 
67 www.brauk.uni-wuppertal.de, www.koch.uni-wuppertal.de 
 
EN 35   EN disciplinary. The Wuppertal approa ch to start-up promotion takes the form of a value chain. 
As in a funnel, students will become acquainted w ith entrepreneurship issues in a diversified 
but not particularly profound way during their first semesters. Later on, more specific 
modules will follow which incorporate th e perspectives of various subjects on 
entrepreneurship issues. The c ourse is on the one hand designe d for students of Economics 
and on the other hand — in a sepa rate module — for students of  other departments such as 
Engineering, Natural Sciences, Architecture and Design. Both groups will meet in specialised 
classes such as business plan seminars and case study training. 
The support of students which are potential founde rs should cover the whole course of their 
studies and should also be expa nded to post-graduate activiti es. Universities should also 
provide coaching to the young entrepreneur s and support during th e start-up process.68 
As yet, there is little evidence associated with  the results of these in terventions. Although this 
document specifically covers hi gher education, entrepreneurship education is increasingly 
being delivered throughout the education system from pre- school to unive rsity and in 
vocational education and training programmes. 
5.5.2 National strategies for entrepreneurship 
There are a general lack of data on the quali ty of entrepreneurship education in higher 
education, however, existing data do show that entrepreneurship  education in Europe is 
lagging behind US and Canada. Data from th e Survey of Entrepreneurship in Higher 
Education in Europe show that, of the 21 million students in Europe, around 5 million are 
actively involved in entrepreneurship, whereas 11 million have no opportunity to engage in entrepreneurship, with business schools as the most likely to offer entrepreneurial education.
69 
The survey analysis shows that acknowledgeme nt among the top management at the HEIs, 
both to their institution and to society as a whol e, is the most important factor in determining 
delivery of entrepreneurship education. Fi ndings show that top- down and bottom-up 
approaches do not stand alone, and that top mana gement and academic staff must make a joint 
effort in order to successfully implement en trepreneurial education throughout the institution. 
The survey showed differences across the Euro pean regions with the Western (EU15) region 
having more institutions that offer entreprene urship education. However the Eastern Region 
(EU>15) tend to have a broader model of entrepre neurship education. This is likely to reflect 
top-down approaches (for the EU>15 region) whereas the EU15 regio n, who have a longer 
tradition of entrepreneurship e ducation, show that traditionally it has been instigated by 
individuals. One of the key reco mmendations from the report is that entrepreneurial education 
should be adopted within a broad definitio n of entrepreneurship and in this way 
entrepreneurship is more likely to be incl uded in a broad range of academic subjects. 
The concept of entrepreneurial ed ucation is still rela tively immature, and is usually instigated 
by individuals rather than at st rategic level on the part of the HEI or at national policy level. 
Lack of funding is cited as the most common  barrier to developmen t of entrepreneurship 
                                                 
68 Norbert Kailer, "Konzeptualisierung der Entrepre neurship Education an Hochschulen: Empirische 
Ergebnisse, Problemfelder und Gestaltungsansätze" in Entrepreneurship Education an Hochschulen, 
ZfKE 2005 
69 Survey of Entrepreneurship in Higher Education in Europe DG Enterprise (2008) 
 
EN 36   EN education. Providing funds is crucial for the appoi ntment of entrepreneurship professors, and 
establishing entrepreneurship courses, centres and extra-curricular activities for students. 
The following are some examples at the st rategy level. The Norwegian strategy for 
Entrepreneurship in Education has the purpose of  profiling entrepreneurship as an educational 
objective and training strategy fr om primary stage to University and College level. Between 
2000 and 2005, 844 enterprises have been created by researchers in France, through academic 
incubators. Recently a new type of company, called “Young Academic Enterprise”, allows 
significant advantages to encourage business cr eation by researchers and students. In Wales, 
every university and college now has its ow n “Entrepreneurship Champion” funded by the 
Knowledge Exploitation Fund (p art of the Wales Assembly Government). These senior 
members of staff are tasked with promoting a new culture of entrepreneurship among students 
and academics. Their role includes: building entr epreneurship into the curriculum; facilitating 
support for new business start-ups by graduates;  establishing support networks for local 
entrepreneurs and students; helping to commercialise the results of research and intellectual property owned by institutions. 
5.5.3 Teaching the teachers and the entrepreneurs 
The European Foundation for Entrepreneurship Research
70 (EFER), founded in 1987 
promotes research and teaching of entrepreneur ship in higher education across Europe. EFER 
introduced Teach-the-Teachers programmes in the early 1990s to train entrepreneurship 
faculty and collaborates with institutions to provide programmes as well as hosting workshops 
and conferences on entrepreneurship to bu ild relationships between businesses and 
universities. In the UK, the Enterprise Educators UK is the national network for enterprise educators. It supports over 600 enterprise e ducators from more than 90 Higher Education 
Institutions to develop their pr actice, network with peers, a nd collaborate in enterprise and 
entrepreneurship teaching and research across all curriculum areas
71. In Germany , some 
universities give their professors the opportunity  to get practical business experience . For 
example, the Gelsenkirchen University of Appl ied Science can give pr ofessors one semester 
off for testing and using scientif ic expertise and methods as well as to get practical experience 
in firms (after a period of at least eight semesters). 
In Denmark , the International Danish  Entrepreneurship Academy (IDEA) and associated 
universities organised more than 10 innovation camps  during 2005-2007, bringing together 
students, business people and te achers in a selected  physical space and for a limited time. 
Inter-disciplinary groups of st udents work on ideas taken from firms and solve problems. In 
November 2007 IDEA tried a new camp mode l matching students, business people and 
university technology transfer people, working w ith three university patents for 48 hours, and 
coming up with ideas on how these patent s could be applied for practical use. 
Alumni are often a natural starting point fo r institutions and over two thirds of HEIs 
responded that they use their alumni as good exam ples and bring them into the entrepreneurial 
teaching. Conversely, the survey found that the ma jority of staff teaching entrepreneurship did 
not have personal experience with entrepreneurship. As entreprene urship is a practical subject 
its teaching would be improved if  those teaching did have their own practical experience on 
                                                 
70 http://www.efer.nl/ 
71 http://www.enterprise.ac.uk/ 
 
EN 37   EN which to draw. Furthermore, the teaching sk ills for entrepreneurial pedagogy are deemed 
different to the methods used to teach academic  subjects. However, few institutions described 
training opportunities for staff.72 
As well as teachers, the practical experience of  the entrepreneur needs to be conveyed to 
students and often entrepreneurs may not have the skills set to teach in the university 
environment. In Belgium , the FREE Foundation73 organised a 2-day seminar for 
entrepreneurs  to train them to use case studies, to speak in front of st udents and to teach 
some section of a course. The seminar was offere d to them in exchange of a commitment to 
spend (for free) at least 30 hours of their time  over a period of three years for teaching. These 
entrepreneurs are now an impor tant resource for education. 
5.5.4 Industrial professors 
Industry chairs and professors, mentioned alr eady in the section on mobility, often have the 
primary strategic function of entrepreneurship  and are named “entrepreneurship chairs”. 
Entrepreneurship chairs can have  a dual function of l ecturing in entrepreneurship as well as 
training other university profe ssors (teaching the teachers). 
A survey carried out in 2000 of fu nding of entrepreneurship chai rs at tertiary level showed 
that business schools in the United States r eceive 20 times more funding from alumni and 
entrepreneurs than European business schools.  According to the 2002 European Commission 
Best Group Report74 few universities have a Chair in Entrepreneurship. The situation 
improves in an overview of entrepreneurship activ ities in general, that is at the presence of 
entrepreneurship within differe nt teaching subjects (at both  undergraduate and postgraduate 
level). However, in some countries there is an established history of this type of activity. In 
Germany, the investment bank KfW has, since 1 998, invested in and supported the start-up of 
a number of professorial chairs in various Ge rman higher education institutions.. The chairs 
were limited to five to ten years, after which they had to be able to survive on their own.  
In Austria entrepreneurship chairs have been se t up at four universities and are also used in 
the careers services to offer counselling. In the UK, the University of Huddersfield is 
introducing an “Entrepreneurship Degree”, the join t idea of one of the leading Professors of 
Entrepreneurship at the university, alongside a le ading entrepreneur in the region. The Oxford 
Said Business School has also appointed a Vis iting Professor of Science Entrepreneurship, 
and several universities now have departments th at research entrepreneurships such as the 
University of Lancashire, and Edinburgh University. 
5.5.5 Research into entrepreneurship  
There are still a number of opinions as to what en trepreneurship is, how it can be fostered, if it 
can be taught, and what the outcomes should be.  
The IDEAS Institute at Valencia  University of Technology is r unning a project to get a better 
understanding of what entrep reneurship means. The resu lts show that in general 
                                                 
72 Survey of Entrepreneurship in Higher Education in Europe DG Enterprise (2008) 
73 www.freefondation.be 
74 FINAL REPORT OF THE EXPERT GROUP: Best procedure: Education and Training for 
Entrepreneurship November 2002 
 
EN 38   EN entrepreneurs, self-employed and employees di splay rather different profiles regarding both 
the elements leading to, and those emergi ng from, their occupational decisions after 
graduation. Gender and country of residence ar e important determinants influencing the 
decision to become an entrepreneur. On average entrepreneurs have high  grades in secondary 
education, suggesting higher ability and they also  tend to take longer to complete their higher 
education, possibly because they performed ad ditional activities during their study period. 
During their education, entreprene urs prefer to spend their tim e gaining practical experience 
rather than attending lectures. Remarkably, th ose graduates who start up their own business 
undertook further education and tr aining in higher proportions than  the rest of graduates. 
Entrepreneurs appear especially concerned ab out the difficulties their institutions had in 
providing them with prac tical experience and with the necess ary conditions to  facilitate their 
access to the labour market. Entrepreneurs also s howed a characteristic profile regarding the 
combination of competences they possessed at the time of graduation;  those graduates who 
became entrepreneurs scored relatively higher in  leadership and taking responsibilities, and 
relatively lower in time management. 
5.6 Knowledge transfer 
Knowledge transfer traditionally refers to the relationship between enterprise and universities 
in the area of research, development and innovati on. With the changing role of universities, 
the concept of knowledge transfer is being wi dened to include other relationships which 
enable knowledge flow. The “entrepreneuria l university” is increasingly involved in 
managing its knowledge assets and facilitating their e xploitation, and this includes the area of 
education. As a term, knowledge transfer has th e potential to encompa ss all the mechanisms 
or approaches outlined above which seek in  some way to exchange knowledge and ideas 
between universities and business. 
University-Business Cooperation in the area of education can learn from the existing 
mechanisms employed to facilitate knowledge  transfer in research, through governance, 
Technology Transfer Offices (TTO), regional cl usters and the management of relationships 
around Intellectual Property Ri ghts (IPR) and patents. 
ProTon, the European Association of Technology Transfer Offices was created in 2003 by the 
European Commission and is the largest KT O network. It has over 220 KTO members and 10 
National Partner Associations (comprising over 500 KTOs), ProTon Europe reaches out to 
almost 600 universities and public research organi sations across Europe. It is self financing 
and one of the main objectives is  to use expertise of the members to highlight issues to the 
European Commission. It also or ganises dedicated training sessi ons to TTO managers. It has 
already had a direct affect on Europ ean Commission work and the Commission 
Recommendation (2008) 1329 10.4.2008 defends the pr inciple of KT and asks all Member 
States to develop KT as  a strategic priority 
Also, if universities already ha ve structured relationships w ith businesses in the area of 
research, it makes sense to capitalise on these existing mechanisms. Businesses find it hard to find the time and resources to invest in di alogue and multiple rela tionships with higher 
education, especially SMEs. Therefore simplifyi ng or coordinating the contact is beneficial 
for both parties. There are increasing moves from  universities to widen their careers services 
to include services for stude nts throughout their studies as well as relationships with 
businesses involved in internships and as potential employers. This service has the potential to 
 
EN 39   EN combine with the work in technology transfer  offices and become a single entry point for 
university business transactions. 
The final report of the OMC (Open Method of Coordination) 3% CREST Expert Group on the 
priority topic : "Encourage the re form of public research  centres and universi ties, in particular 
to promote transfer of knowledge to society a nd industry”. Four areas were developed for: 
• The changing role of public research centres  in knowledge transfer” - that public research 
centres should see knowledge transfer as th eir main mission after research. They should 
integrate demand driven approaches into the planning of research, a nd redefine operational 
management of the organisation 
• “Support and development of university knowledge transfer activities” - as part of the 
“third mission” of universities. However, rath er than try to overhaul the organisation of 
entire universities to this end (with the possibility of distracting from their primary 
objectives of teaching and research), it is pr oposed that a knowledge transfer unit, well 
supported with professional input should opera te in a position to promote cooperation with 
industry and advise departme nts in order to overcome cu ltural resistance within 
universities. This recommendation theref ore includes the need for professional 
management of knowledge transf er activities, appropriate infrastructure for knowledge 
transfer, and a structure that assess pe rformance regarding knowledge transfer. 
• “Design of funding schemes to support knowledg e transfer” - Knowledge  transfer requires 
a long time to produce benefits , therefore it necessitates f unding support in initial stages, 
therefore additional public funds  are needed to sustain know ledge transfer activities. 
• “Creation of incentive schemes for researchers to conduct knowl edge transfer activities” – 
Individual researchers must be on board in  order for knowledge transfer to work. 
Appropriate incentives should be in place in cluding career progression and promotion, and 
salary increases rewarding researcher s for knowledge transfer activities. 
The report responds to the Commission’s 3% Action Plan (Barcelona objective for R&D investment), 
which proposes the issues to address as: “establishment of incubators, science parks, seed funds and 
new types of public-private partnerships a nd the performance appraisal of researchers”.  
5.6.1 A coherent support structure for knowledge transfer 
There are national, regional and institutional approaches to coherent knowledge transfer 
structures. 
At a national level, Finland’ s new innovation strategy defines itself as being based on the 
skills and competences of the individuals and thus encompa sses knowledge creation in its 
widest form “Innovations and entrepreneursh ip are closely connected. In many cases, 
entrepreneurs are the ones who are able to comb ine ideas, the ability to take risks and other 
required skills with a clear view of cust omers’ needs. Innovation policy must be 
entrepreneurship policy - a key viewpoint to consider when re forming public services.” In 
Austria the Academia plus Business programme, across Austria run by the Austrian Research 
Promotion Agency funds innovative, technology oriented spin offs from the academic community through the creation of busine ss centres targeted at young scientists. 
 
EN 40   EN The University of Twente is a good example of a university embedded in its regional 
economy taking a joined-up approach to knowledge transfer. Together with  regional partners, 
the university has a knowledge  park and business accelerators linking the knowledge in the 
university with the business community. In suppo rting entrepreneurship, for over 10 years, the 
university has had a minor programme available to all students. For studen ts who wish to start 
a company there is support from the TOP programme (Temporary Entrepreneurial Positions) with a number of benefits. There is also a pr ogramme for University Student Enterprises and a 
growth programme which is for owner managers of companies. Included  in these modules are 
training and networking activities. Brno Univer sity of Technology uses different models of 
Technology Transfer through its Technology Tran sfer Office incorporating short term and 
long term strategies.. Examples of long term collaboration and strategi c partnership include 
Honeywell, Siemens, SKANSKA. Vrije Universi teit Brussel (VUB) in Belgium also takes a 
multi model approach to technology transfer and also has an initiative CROSSTALKS which 
is the university and industry network of th e Vrije Universiteit Brussel. CROSSTALKS aims 
at creating an open and constructive exchange  dynamic by hosting thematic encounters which 
go beyond the limitations of specifi c disciplines and which encour age active participation of 
key players from all levels of society. 
In Finland, the regional development project (Korkeakoulut seutukunniss a) coordinated by the 
Centre for Extension Studies of the Univers ity of Turku supports re gional development and 
strengthens SMEs’ competitiveness through imp roving availability of higher education, 
research and development services of the seve n higher education institu tions located in Turku. 
The project looks for structural  and operational models to enha nce regional engagement of the 
HEIs. The work has two approaches: 
• knowledge transfer or interacti on between HEIs and SMEs and  
• knowledge management and operational models inside the HEIs. 
The Athens University of Economics and Busi ness has established links with international 
firms and enterprises which offer career oppor tunities and scholarships to students and 
graduates.
75 
5.6.2 Mobility for research 
Student internships for industrial experience ar e only one part of student mobility. There are 
also a number of undergraduates, professors an d postgraduate internships or schemes which 
focus on research rather than industrial experience (they are more common at the post 
graduate level). A number of these are alrea dy covered under the sectio n on mobility as many 
placements have a dual function. The knowledge transfer from both res earch and experience-
oriented placements - to the enterprise and to  the university - are of equal importance. Both 
can feed into research and edu cation orientation within instituti ons. Also once a relationship is 
established with a business, it  can be nurtured and broadene d into areas of adult lifelong 
learning and/or curriculum  development for example 
A number of these schemes, such as the Ma rie Curie Actions in FP 7, are already covered 
under the section on mobility as many placements have a dual function. 
                                                 
75 http://www.aueb.gr/pages_en/about/index.php; http://www.imba.aueb.gr/  
 
EN 41   EN Placements and internships in industry are well -organised for some big companies including 
Bosch in Germany and NOKIA in Finland. There are also some good pr actices in countries 
such as Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Spain and Greece.  
Extraordinary professors (bijzondere hoogleraren) in the Netherlands. The se are doctorates coming 
from industry and are employed to work for the university. Their number has grown much during the 
‘80s. For example, the University of Utrecht had about 430 ordinary professors and 120 extraordinary 
professors in 1998. These chairs are useful for pr omoting mobility between industry/interest groups 
and academia and furthermore represent a financial suppor t for universities. In practice, the university 
board appoints a newly created third party (e.g. a fo undation, group of founders) for the establishment 
of an extraordinary chair. The third party then  appoints the person to the chair. Extraordinary 
professors mostly work part-time (Report Mob ility of Researchers: 12 Practical Recommendations 
European Commission 2006.  
6. O THER ISSUES AND ACTIVITIES  
The themes outlined above illustrate just so me of the ways in which universities can 
cooperate and collaborate with business. The agenda does not s it in isolation. Universities are 
going through a number of changes; they are embedded in regional economies and respondent 
to financial crises, the economic downturn a nd changes in European and national policy 
priorities. Many Member States have been goi ng through (or are still goi ng through) a number 
of structural changes in higher education (D enmark, Finland, Portugal, for example). There 
are also specific issues, wide r than University-Business C ooperation, which affect how 
working relationships can be established. Some of those issues and activities explored here 
include the regional economy, the role of Corpor ate Social Responsibility (CSR), the specific 
involvement of SMEs. Other important areas wh ich affect University -Business cooperation 
and have been addressed under the existing themes, include: acc reditation, quality assurance, 
the diversification of approaches to learning and the identification of appropriate indicators 
for University-Business Cooperation. 
6.1 The role in the regional economy 
In the regions, universities have traditionally played a dual role in the innovation system, 
enhancing stocks of knowledge through resear ch and education a nd also indirectly 
contributing to industry and econom ic growth. In the past decad e many universities in Europe 
have formally incorporated regional economi c development into their mission statements. 
Regional development agencies are also in cluding policies which support partnerships 
between universities and industr y in regional economic strate gies. Although many are focused 
on technology transfer, a number include widening their role in linking industry to course 
development and delivery (although are not always explicitly stated). 
The modes of policy interaction are critically important at th e regional level and often need 
vertical coordination between the administrativ e levels (European, national, regional) and 
horizontal between the regions to avoid duplicati on and learn from each other. The situation is 
complex with over 200 regions in the Europe an Union which are heterogeneous in their 
technological and economic conditions. They have  a variety of needs in terms of skills and 
human resources. They also ha ve varying degrees of power. 
The INTERREG IIIC project RUISNET describes a number of examples of good practice and puts 
forward some conclusions and recommendations. 
 
EN 42   EN The objectives of the projects were as follows:: 
– Improve, value and promote the recognition of the importance of university-company 
relations within the European regional framework. 
– Take advantage of accumulated knowledge (RIS/RITTS projects developed by the DG of 
Regional Policy of the European Commi ssion) within the regional framework 
– Identify the good practices that have an imp act on regional development in the 3 sectors 
selected for development: Innovation, SMEs and Territory; Training and the Labour 
Market; Entrepreneurship and technology-based companies. 
– Create a forum in which to share a common outlook within the European scope, with a 
strong participation and generalised dissemina tion of models and systems, in order to 
exploit the potential of unive rsity-company relations in regi onal development, and create 
the Association required to ensure the proj ect’s continuity with a large number of 
associates. 
http://www.ruisnet.net/web/en/the-project/description.htm  
Universities and other higher education institu tions (HEIs) can and do make a significant 
contribution to regional economic and social development, and in a globalised economy this 
role is growing in importance. Too often, how ever, the potential for sy nergy is thwarted by 
failures of communication between regional stak eholders and HEIs, w eak or unclear policy 
signals, and conflicting agendas in institutions76. 
Regions and HEIs are building partnerships base d on shared interest which is principally 
economic. From the perspective of agencies pr omoting city and regional development, HEIs 
have become a key resource. They can help serve regional development most obviously by 
contributing to a region’s comparative advantag e in knowledge-based industries and to its 
human capital base, but also for example by helping to generate new businesses, by 
contributing to tax revenues and by providin g content and audience for local cultural 
programmes. From the perspective of HEIs, regi onal involvement has a range of benefits. The 
local area brings business to institutions in a variety of forms, including student enrolments 
and payments for research, consultancy and traini ng. At the same time, a thriving region 
creates an environment in which higher educati on can also thrive, help ing institutions to 
attract and retain staff and students . 
Higher Education and Regions: Globally Competitive, Locally Engaged OECD 2007 
www.oecd.org/edu/higher/regionaldevelopment 
There are some good examples of universities co ming together at a regional level to build 
capacity which may in turn be of interest to en terprises that want to cooperate on a wider than 
institutional level (some examples already in clude enterprise). In France universities are 
                                                 
76 Higher Education and Regions: Globally Compe titive, Locally Engaged OECD 2007. In 2004-2007, 
IMHE, in collaboration with the OECD Public Go vernance and Territorial De velopment Directorate, 
conducted a comparative review of regional engagement of higher education institutions in 14 regions 
across 12 countries 
 
EN 43   EN starting to work together by creating regi onal bodies: PRES (Pôle de Recherche et 
d'Enseignement Supérieur)77. Although research-led, these w ill also lead to benefits of 
educational excellence across a region. In Italy,  TUCEP is a regional Consortium created in 
the Umbria region of Italy. Members of the Cons ortium are 13 universities and 32 enterprises 
and associations, which unify th eir efforts for promoting and de veloping collaborative actions 
between universities and non-formal training  bodies through performance of research 
projects. In the south east of England, UK, the Higher Education Entrepreneurship Group 
(HEEG) is a regional network of academics, bus iness development, knowledge transfer and 
entrepreneurship professionals, careers services staff, senior managers  and students based in 
higher education institutions (HEIs) across S outh East England. HEEG aims to increase the 
capacities and capabilities of Hi gher Education to develop mo re enterprising students and 
more graduate business star t ups through up-skilling staff and sharing best practice78.  
In Finland, wherea new law has be en enacted, polytechnics are e xpected to form relationships 
with SMEs, and in particular to play a role  in regional development. Also in Finland, e-
Tampere was a project linked to Tampere’s city  strategy and involved several SMEs and large 
companies (e.g. Nokia) and two universities,  which were planning and implementing the 
programme. The e-Tampere programme was desi gned to support Tamper e’s balanced city 
strategy and vision for the year 2012. During the programme, e-Tampere’s sub-programmes 
launched almost 400 local, regional, national and international projects. Extensive co-
operation was implemented in these projects be tween research, busine ss and government and 
from the perspectives of technology, economy and society. 
In Northern Ireland the role of the Workforce Development Forum79 is to identify and 
articulate the skills needs fo r the local economy of the area and to encourage and promote a 
strategic response to those needs from exis ting local public and private sector training 
providers, within the existing local resource allocation. The local Workforce Development 
Forum will also advise and make representa tions to government and agencies, on matters 
affecting the demand and supply of skills in th e local area. Through its chairperson, the Forum 
contributes directly to the impl ementation of the Skills Strate gy for Northern Ireland, Success 
through Skills and the development of a Regi onal Employment and Skills Action Plan. 
In Romania the National Agency for Partnership between Universities and the Economic and 
Social Environment operates under the Ministry  of Education, Research and Youth and has 
regional centres in Cluj Napoca, Gala ți, Timişoara and Ia şi. Through regional consortia 
organized at regional level and composed of so cial partners, pre-unive rsity schools and higher 
education institutions, 8 Regional Action Plans were  elaborated in view of early anticipation 
of vocational training needs and enhancing the role of higher education in regional 
development80. 
Some universities take an institutional approach to their liaisons with regional enterprises. At 
the University of Liege –“In terface Entreprises-Université81” is a permanent body that liaises 
and promotes collaborations between  the University of Liege and Enterprises. The goal is to 
                                                 
77 With the research law of April 2006, the PRES (“Pôles de recherche et de l’Enseignement supérieur”) 
have been introduced to the French system of Higher Education. 
78 http://www.heeg.org.uk/Heeg/home.aspx 
79 http://www.delni .gov.uk/index/successthr oughskills/workforce-dev elopment-forums.htm 
80 http://nou.acpart.ro/index.php?lang=en 
81 http://www.interface. ulg.ac.be/english/ 
 
EN 44   EN make the research activities, competences an d specialized equipments of the University 
known to local and internationa l companies ; help companie s identify opportunities and 
synergies from potential collaborations with Univ ersity laboratories ; assist laboratories in 
finding industrial partners ; render th e University more accessible to SME. 
The 7 higher education institutions in Turku in Finland have joined forces to promote regional 
development in the four areas set out in the Strategy for Regional Development 2006 – 2012 : 
• Social responsibility: the HEIs work together to impr ove well-being, social and cultural 
capital and the prospects for sust ainable development in the region 
• Internationality: the HEIs promote intern ationalisation of the region and develop 
international cooperation. 
• Entrepreneurship: the HEIs work together to further entrepreneurship in the region. 
• Cooperation between HEIs: the HEIs strengthen their mutual cooperation  for the benefit of 
the region. 
In Germany, the Network IAW 2010 is an intermediary between the enterprises and 
entrepreneurs of the region of we st Saxony and universities, scien tific and resear ch facilities. 
The network makes an important contribution to  the competitiveness and job creation in the 
region. The University of Wismar adheres to the Model University 2020 – a cultural 
agreement with the German Government which ha s a target to adapt the university’s services 
to the needs of the regional ec onomy. The university aims to  develop a market oriented 
degree programme and generate 20% of its budge t independently. Wismar has also developed 
dual degree programmes and aims to offer degr ees for retired people, people with children 
and for people who would not normally go to university. 
6.2 Corporate Social Responsibility  
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is “a co ncept whereby companies integrate social and 
environmental concerns in thei r business operations and in th eir interactions with their 
stakeholders on a voluntary basis.82”. In the area of University-Business Cooperation, CSR is 
often the hook which will incite businesses to invest in highe r education, especially in 
devoting time to develop curriculum and to deliver entrepreneurship training where the 
benefits are not short term for the businesse s involved. There are more immediate benefits 
when the investment is in sta ff and lifelong learning opportunities. 
The European Academy of Business in Society (EABIS) has instigated a number of education 
projects, which include a curriculum developm ent project launched in 2005. This is a 3 year 
project “Mainstreaming Corpor ate Responsibility in the Bu siness School Curriculum” by 
INSEAD and London Business School. The aim of the project is to encourage the uptake of 
teaching materials (devised by EABIS member s through open competition) for degree and 
executive learning programmes for innovative and socially re sponsible management style. 
EABIS has a particular interest in the pr omotion of Corporate Social Responsibility.  
                                                 
82 European Commission definition  
 
EN 45   EN From the perspective of higher education, there is an obligation to ensure that future 
entrepreneurs consider CSR an integral part of  their companies. It therefore needs to be 
integrated into relevant educational course s. Two projects, GILDE (a German economic 
development agency) and UEAPME (the European  Association of Craf t, Small and Medium-
sized Enterprises), developed and tested te aching modules on CSR for further education83 
6.3 Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME)  
One of the main challenges faci ng Europe is that so few Eur opeans own their own business, 
and few European SMEs are growing. The EU has placed SMEs high on the agenda within the Lisbon Strategy and more recently the Euro pean Commission set out the “Small Business 
Act” (SBA) for Europe. 
Small Business Act 2008 
Adopted in June 2008, the "Small Business Act" for Europe (SBA) reflects the Commission’s 
political will to recognise the central role of  SMEs in the EU economy and for the first time 
puts into place a comprehensive SME policy fr amework for the EU and its Member States. 
It aims to improve the overall approach to entr epreneurship, to irreversibly anchor the “Think 
Small first” principle in policy making from regulation to public service, and to promote 
SMEs’ growth by helping them tackle th e remaining problems which hamper their 
development. 
The Small Business Act for Europe applies to all companies which are independent and have 
fewer than 250 employees: 99% of all European businesses. 
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/ entrepreneurship/sba_en.htm  
The nature of SMEs varies widely, including cr afts, micro-enterprises and family-owned or 
social economy enterprises. Therefore strategies  to address interaction between Universities 
and SMEs must take into account this dive rsity. According to the Small Business Act 
Communication “European SMEs grow slower than their US  counterparts; University-
Business cooperation could facilita te this growth by encouraging employment of university 
leavers within SMEs. Furthermore, university  cooperation with SMEs can improve innovation 
in SMEs as European SMEs do not innovate  as successfully as larger businesses”84.  
6.3.1 Collaboration for innovation within SMEs 
In the early phases SMEs are often dedicated to the development of new products, whereas 
large companies have the resources and flexib ility to plan long te rm, with greater R&D 
capacity. With more limited resources SMEs focus more closely on existing customers 
leaving little time to look at future product  development, while larger companies have 
specialists who can communicate with innovators  outside, such as university researchers.85 
                                                 
83 Supporting enterprises in their CSR orientation through business development and qualification 
GILDE, Germany http://www.csr-mittelstand.de/welcome 
84 Communication “Think Small First” A “Small Business Act” for Europe COM (2008) 394 final 
85 Universities and Business: Partnering for the Kowledge Society Weber, L.E. Duderstadt, J.J. 
Economica (2006) 
 
EN 46   EN The strategic goal set by the Lisbon Agenda to address the risk of  an “innovation divide” 
includes the need to include more SMEs in  FP7 Programmes "Cooperation", "Capacities" and 
"People". In the area of bi otechnology a new method in mana ging University/Biotech SME 
relationships has been identified that aims to pur sue: the quality of relations, mutual reliance, 
“patience”, flexibility, and be orientated to gr and challenges. The initia tive also includes the 
need to co-determine governance issues by universities and SMEs, and new task sharing concepts in participation with “horizontal” as  well as “vertical” relationships suggesting 
universities could set up  high skill departments, establis hing “proxy management” models to 
participate in technolog y transfer initiatives.
86 
In Switzerland the Swiss National Science Founda tion (FNS) and Swiss Innovation Promotion Agency 
(KTI/CTI) support research and innovation through project-based funds. The CTI promotes national 
and international networks that offer Swiss companies easy access to knowledge available at 
universities. CTI activities aim to meet the needs of SMEs through easy-to-use innovation 
programmes. The EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fe deral de Lausanne) in Switzerland has a 
comprehensive approach to innovation and relati ons with business, including SMEs. The Technology 
Transfer Office at EPFL has been ex tremely active in technology transfer over the past 15 years and 
has established a science park in 1993 which includes an incubator for entrepreneurs and early stage 
companies with coaching support by the KTI/CTI. In  line with this the College of Management of 
Technology at EPFL established in 2005, to train engineers in economic and business aspects of 
technology and innovation aims to attract st udents with an entrepreneurial mindset. 87 
6.3.2 Collaboration for greater employment opportunities within SMEs 
Encouraging start-ups, and the growth of SMEs is essential to sustaining the European 
economy. A central concept of the Small Busi ness Act is the importance of society’s 
recognition of entrepreneurs, an d the creation of a climate in  which individua ls consider 
starting their own business an attractive option. Universities can play a pivotal role in 
promoting this option to students. The “Think Sma ll First” principle, that rules should respect 
the majority of those who will use them (S MEs) would suggest that universities should 
priorities partnerships with SMEs. One main goal of developing entrepreneurship is that 
graduates will have the skills and confidence to start up their own companies. A key aspect to 
encouraging students is to enga ge SMEs with universities. 
Working relationships between SMEs and universi ties are essential to ensure that the skills 
requirements of SMEs are represen ted in curricular development,  that students are exposed to 
the idea of working in SMEs, that students with  entrepreneurial potentia l can learn about start-
ups and the needs of SMEs. SMEs should be invol ved in all of the mechanisms described in 
this paper (Governance, curriculum development, continued education, mobility, entrepreneurship and knowledge tr ansfer). Universities need to ta ke special measures to reach 
out to SMEs in order to include them in thes e processes. The additi onal barriers of reaching 
SMEs can be: 
– SMEs are less visible to universities 
– SMEs do not have the capacity to take time to build relations with universities 
                                                
 
86 DG Research European Commission Nanodiab workshop 2007 Nanomaterials & Diabetes: Highlights 
from the Event 
87 The EPFL approach to Innovation Lebret, H. et al in  Universities and Business: Partnering for the 
Knowledge Society Weber, L.E. Duderstadt, J.J. Economica (2006) 
 
EN 47   EN – SMEs are less aware of the advantages of building relations  with universities 
– Universities prefer to engage  with larger companies. 
The University of Greenwich (UK) offers an MBA in SME Management. The course is aimed at 
mature students and to appeal to SME employers by  providing management education relevant to the 
work place and modular options that allow specialisa tion. It offers flexible delivery of learning for 
students who may be working full time, and time-off for study is often particularly difficult to organise 
in smaller organisations. The course builds on st udent’s knowledge from the work environment.  
7. C ONCLUSIONS  
The following overall conclusions are dr awn from the university business fora88. The 
conclusions of the for a on the 6 differe nt themes are included in the Annex. 
7.1 Overall conclusions  
At the policy level: 
• University-Business Cooperation, linked to the hi gher skills agenda, can help lead Europe 
through the current economic crisis. The progr ess of University-B usiness Cooperation 
should not be impeded by short-term  reactions in HE or businesses 
• A major challenge for economic recovery will  be the availability  of a higher-skilled 
workforce especially in science, tech nology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) 
• Innovation resulting from links between busin ess and Higher Education should not be 
limited to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) – the arts and 
humanities also contribute to socio-economic development 
• SMEs are an important area for developm ent. University-Business Cooperation might 
benefit from an improved understanding of how  better to link SMEs to universities and 
also from understanding the different natu re of innovation in SMEs compared to big 
companies 
• The role of the student in the transaction. University-Business Cooperation might benefit 
from further clarification and understanding of the role of the student in the process: 
whether as client, customer, partner, ‘product’, university junior staff member etc.  
At the implementation level 
• There is a need for dissemination of, and access to, examples of good practice and success 
stories in University-Business Cooperation, with  a better understandin g of the impact of 
success (what is specifically achi eved, how is it measured etc.) 
                                                 
88 First and Second University Business Forum, Brussels, February 2008 and 2009, Continuing Education, 
Brussels 30 June 2008, Curriculum Development, Tenerife, 30-31 October 2008, Knowledge Transfer, 
Brussels, 7 November 2008 
 
EN 48   EN • It is important to be clear about the models and principl es which underpin good practices 
in their specific contexts (the mechanisms ; who is involved; in what legal/economic 
conditions etc.) 
• There needs to be a change of mindset in ma ny cases to facilitate the alignment of the 
different cultures of the bus iness and university worlds 
• There is a need to recognise the particular  value of individuals and organisations as 
champions of change, and to provide re levant support measures for champions 
 
EN 49   EN ANNEX A1 - PUBLICATIONS  
COMMISSION DOCUMENTS  
– COM(2005) 152 final: Mobilising the br ainpower of Europe: Delivering on the 
modernisation agenda for universities, COM(2006)298 
– COM(2008) 800 final: Communication from the Commission to the European Council. A 
European Economic Recovery Plan 
– COM (2005) 24 final: Working Together for Gr owth and Jobs: A New Start for the Lisbon 
Strategy 
– University-Enterprise Workshop, Brussels , 17 July 2007, Brussels: Workshop Report 
– COM (2006) 33 : Implementing the Comm unity Lisbon Programme: Fostering 
Entrepreneurial 
– Mindsets through Education and Learning 
– COM(2005)548 final: Commission proposal fo r a Recommendation on Key Competences 
for Lifelong Learning 
– COM (2005) 488 :More research and Innovation, Investing for Growth and Employment: a 
common 
– approach 
– COM (2007)182 : Improving knowledge transfer  between research institutions and 
industry across Europe” 
– COM (2008) 394 final : Communica tion “Think Small First” A “Small Business Act” for 
Europe  
– BEST procedure project: Entrepreneurship in  Higher Education, especially in non-business 
studies: Final report of th e expert group March 2008 
– SEC(2008) 2101 : Commission St aff Working Document accompanying the 
Communication “Think Small First - A Small Business Act for Europe 
– SEC(2007)449 : Voluntary guidelines for universit ies and other resear ch institutions to 
improve their links with  industry across Europe” 
– Survey of Entrepreneurship in Higher E ducation in Europe DG Enterprise (2008) 
– Thematic Forum on Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning (Brussels, 30 June 
2008): Workshop Report 
– Thematic Forum on Curriculum Development and Entrepreneurship  (Tenerife, 30-31 
October 2008) – Workshop Report 
 
EN 50   EN – Future skill needs in Europe: synthesis re port: Medium-term forecast: CEDEFOP – 2008 
– The Framework for Qualifications of the EHEA – 2005 
– Mobility of Researchers between Academia and Industry: 12 Pract ical Recommendations. 
DG Research 2006 
OECD 
– OECD GDP Growth Projections: 2008-2010 
– OECD (2002) Benchmarking I ndustry-Science Relationships 
– Higher Education and Regions: Globally Competitive, Locally Engaged OECD 2007 
INTERNATIONAL /NATIONAL  
– 20th World Competitiveness Yearbook, released May 15 2008 by IMD business school 
– The Higher Educational Transformation of China and Its Global Implications: NBER 
Working Paper No. 13849  
– European Innovation Scoreboard : EIS 2007 Report 
– Trends V: Universities shaping the EU  Higher Education Area, EUA report, 2007 
– Lambert, R. and Butler, N. (2006) The Future  of European Universities: Renaissance or 
Decay? 
– The Lambert Review of Business-University Collaboration (UK) 2003 
– Leich Review (UK) 2006 
– White paper: The future of Higher Education:  Chapter 3 HE and business: Exchanging and 
developing knowledge and skills (UK) 2003 DfES 
– Higher Education at Work – High Skills: High Value (UK) 2008 DIUS 
– World Class Skills: Implementing the Leitch Review of Skills in England (UK) 2007 
DIUS 
– Entrepreneurial Activity in 2007 across th e globe GEM Adult population survey 2007 
(APS) 
– CBI/Pertemps, “Employment Trends survey” (UK) 2006 
– Council for Industry and Higher Education; Gr aduate Employability: what do employers 
think and want (UK) 2008  
– Workforce Development: how much engage ment do employers have with higher 
education?(UK) 2007 CIHE  
 
EN 51   EN – International Competitiveness: Businesses working with UK Universities, (UK) 2006 
CIHE 
– International Competitiveness: the role of universities (UK) 2007 CIHE 
– Estonia: Bologna Report 2007 
– Hungary: Bologna Report 2007 
– Romania Bologna Report 2009 
– University-Enterprise Cooperation: building on new challenges from past experience, 
Project Report, (DE) DAAD - 2006 
– Universities and Business: Partnering for the Knowledge Society Weber, L.E. Duderstadt, 
J.J. Economica (2006) 
– Higher Education for the Workforce: Barriers  and Facilitators to Employer Engagement 
(UK) 2008 Dr Marilyn Wedgwood, Manchester Metropolitan Un iversity, DIUS Research 
– Creative futures: Building the creativ e economy through universities (UK) 2008
 Centre for Creative and Cultural Indu stries Research: Napier University 
– Educating Engineers for the 21st Centur y:. The Industry View (UK) 2006 Henley 
Management College 
– Enterprise and entrepreneurship in higher education (UK) 2007 NCGE 
– Good practice in enterprise developmen t in UK higher education (UK) 2007 NCGE 
– Higher-level skills for higher value: Design blueprint (UK) 2008 Design Council 
– Impact of higher education institutions on regional economi es (UK) 2007 University of 
Strathclyde 
– University-Industry Knowledge Exchange: De mand Pull, Supply Push and the Public 
Space role of Higher Education Institutions  in the UK Regions (UK) 2008 University 
of Cambridge 
– "Universities, Business and Knowledge  Exchange" (UK) 2008 "CIHE: Maria 
Abreu, Vadim Grinevic, Alan Hughes, Michael Kitson and Philip Ternouth" 
– Understanding the factors influencing gra duate entrepreneurship (UK) 2007 NCGE 
– Influence through Collaborati on: Employer Demand for Higher Learning and Engagement 
with Higher Education Full Pr oject Report (UK) 2008 CIHE 
– Stepping Higher: Workforce development thro ugh employer-higher education partnership 
(UK) 2008 HEFCE 
– HEFCE strategy to support links between hi gher education and employers on skills and 
lifelong learning (UK) 2006 HEFCE 
 
EN 52   EN – Higher Education: Business and Community  Interaction Survey (UK) 2008 HEFCE 
– Quality assurance and employer engage ment in HE learning (UK) 2008 HEFCE 
– Good Practices in University  - Enterprise Partnerships - GOODUEP Project (ES) 2008
 Centre for the Study of Higher Educati on Management Universidad Politécnica de 
Valencia Camino de Vera  
– 'Higher aspirations: An agenda for reformi ng European universities' (EU) 2008 Philippe 
Aghion, Mathias Dewatripont, Caroline Hoxby, Andreu Mas-Colell and André Sapir 
– REFLEX PUBLICATIONS (EU ) 2007  
– "University-Enterprise Cooperation: Building on new challenges from past experience" 
DE/EU DAAD  
– Thinking across disciplines – interdisciplin arity in research and education (DK)  
– Skills Road Map for the Digital Media Industry (IE) 2006 Forfas 
– A one step up approach: Irish  skills strategy (IE) 2006  
– Education and Research 2003-2008 (F I) 2004 Ministry of Education 
– Promotiing Enterprise – Higher Education Re lationships (IE) 2007 Forfas and Advisory 
Council for Science, Technology and Innovation 
 
EN 53   EN Annex A2 – Forum Conclusions 
A2.1 Governance 
The University Business Forum has demonstr ated that changes in higher education 
governance at national, regi onal and institutional level are core conditions for the 
development of effective collaboration  between university and business. 
University-Business Cooperation needs to be  embedded in institutional strategies 
– Universities have to modify thei r governance structures in order to enable the organisation 
and its staff (professors, researchers, gradua tes, students) to f ace the challenges of a 
changing world 
– University-Business Cooperation has to be part  of university strate gy. There are still many 
universities in Europe with internal govern ing boards which do not lend themselves to 
supporting the modernisation agenda 
Institutional leadership  
– Leadership is key in the implement ation of relevant governance models 
– There is a need to develop inst ruments to support leadership 
Representation of all the stakeholders 
– Businesses are just one set of stakeholders that  need to be present and active in institutional 
governance. Representation from staff, students and the community is equally important in 
decisions on University-Business Cooperation 
Supportive structures and services 
– European universities can learn from the experience of their American counterparts, 
particularly in establishing close links with their alumni and benefiting from their expertise 
and networks. 
– Universities are seeing a change in the organi sation and remit of career services to cover 
university industry transactio ns in the broadest sense 
Management of Human Resources, incentives, recognition 
– Particular effort is needed to improve the management of human resources, career 
progression and incentive systems 
– Relevant assessment systems mean that Univ ersity-Business coopera tion is recognised in 
the metrics  
– Appropriate incentive systems mean  that cooperation with busines s is part of the criteria 
for career advancements of teaching staff (performance contracts)  
Importance of national and regional policy support 
 
EN 54   EN – At national level changes are needed relating  to legislation and to administrative and 
funding arrangements to support incen tives to institutions and staff 
– The collaboration work and its acknowledgement, moving away from traditional academic 
merits can be supported through national and regional funding 
A2.2 Curriculum Development 
The competitiveness of economies is increasingly  dependent on the availability of a qualified 
and entrepreneurial workforce. This means that  universities have an important role in the 
"production" of this qualified human capital. As a consequence it is imperative that 
universities and businesses understa nd the value of cooperation in  curriculum development.  
A better match between graduate profiles and qualifications 
– Joint curriculum development greatly im proves chances for companies to find 
students/graduates that have th e knowledge, skills and competences that are needed on the 
labour market 
– Quality and relevance (labour mark et) of study programmes should be 
demonstrated/assessed 
Supportive internal structures to fa cilitate curriculum development  
– Universities' careers services are already ch anging and could develop into the point of 
contact at universities for all companies and feed into the development of curricula 
– Alumni are future employers and/or employees: they can provide important feedback to the 
quality and relevance of their studies 
– More extensive dialogue with the business sector  at the faculty level can be beneficial for 
the redefinition of the knowledge skills and competences required for graduates 
A common language for universities and business 
– The focus on Learning Outcomes provides th e opportunity to serv e as common language 
of relevance for cooperation, understandable by all stakeholders 
Future proof 
– There needs to be a balance betw een short-term and long-term sk ills needs in th e curricula.  
– New concepts are required to ensure that th e curricula are innovatio n-supportive, ie. that 
graduates are equipped for the development of innovation 
A2.3 Continuing Education & Lifelong Learning 
The concern about employability is not only for those who enter the labour market. The 
upgrading of competences in the adult population is an even bigger challenge for Europe.  
Lifelong learning embedded in  institutional strategies 
 
EN 55   EN – Universities should clearly recognise the requ irement for Lifelong L earning within their 
mission, policy and strategy 
– Strategies for Lifelong Learning sh ould also consider the incen tives to individuals from all 
stakeholders to engage in this activity in cluding lecturers, students and employers 
Lifelong learning has to be done in partnership 
– There need to be frameworks allowing busin ess and university stakeholders to come 
together to define the demand for new skil ls: There is great potential for relevant 
intermediary organisations to bridge the gap between universities and business, in particular between uni versities and SMEs 
– SMEs need particular attention; they have specific needs and requi re special arrangements 
as well in the definition as the delivery of a demand-driven offer. Clearly defined contact 
points like departments for continuing educatio n at universities can help with attracting 
SMEs  
Funding of Lifelong learning 
– Strategies for Lifelong Learni ng should look into a range of  sources of funding, whether 
these include national, regional, in stitutional, or individual sources 
– University/business promoters have to fi nd new economic models and organisational 
architecture to allow movement between learning and work 
National and regional policy support for Li felong learning strategies in Higher 
Education 
– The inclusion of continuing education and a dult lifelong learning in strategies hinges on 
the provision of the ri ght policy environment 
– Lifelong Learning strategies in Higher Edu cation can contribute to regional economic 
development, and closer relations between uni versities and businesses,  particularly SMEs 
– National policies need to take into account th e differing time scales that universities and 
businesses work within, and foster collaboration for Lifelong Learning with sensitivity to supply and demand 
New modes of learning 
– In order to facilitate Lifelong Learning, universi ties need to be able to adapt to individual 
circumstances and offer flexible courses. Th is means offering a wider range of course 
content, more tailored to business dema nd, and more flexible facilities for access 
• Recognition and accreditation 
– To widen access to Lifelong Le arning universities need to recognise prior learning and 
skills from outside of formal higher education 
– Lifelong learning courses should be properly accredited by both  universities and employers 
to be of real benefit 
 
EN 56   EN – Relevant quality assurance mechanisms have to be extended to LLL programmes 
– Updating/upgrading skills has to be valued/recognised on the labour market 
A2.4 Entrepreneurship 
The low levels of entrepreneurship in the EU are a major source of concern for fostering of 
growth and employment. The challenge for Higher Education is to shape the learning 
environments that stimulate and support entrep reneurship. The approach needs to move from 
the knowledge economy to an entrepreneurial economy – from knowledge to the application 
of knowledge.  
Creating the right context 
– Higher Education cannot ‘make’ entrepreneurs but can create an environment that is 
conducive for the development of entrepreneur ial individuals (their attitudes, behaviour 
and skills). 
– There is a need for further developing institut ional leadership at se nior management level 
with responsibility for cultural change and ach ieving agreed outcomes and impact; for staff 
training and development and curricula innovation. 
– Accompany and help graduates creating thei r own business through incubators, mentoring 
and tutoring. 
– It is important to create and promote a positiv e image of entrepreneurs: this involves the 
university being receptive to the role of pr omoting and encouraging entrepreneurship. 
Development of the entrepreneurial eco-systems 
– All types of stakeholders need to be invol ved in the development of entrepreneurship 
– Staff play a key role in the development of entrepreneurial attitude among students 
– Trust and mutual understanding needs to be crea ted between the stakeholders and networks 
Qualifications, mechanisms and role models 
– Too few qualified educators ar e available, and not enough tr aining opportunities exist for 
interested candidates. 
– There are not enough chairs of entrepreneurship  in Europe – necessary  to better understand 
the issues and for championing its development. 
– Good entrepreneurship relies on the flow of knowledge from university to business and 
vice versa with mobility of students and staff 
Access to entrepreneurship education 
– Entrepreneurship education in Europe is t oo focused on specific subjects. All students, 
regardless or where and what they study (full tim e, part time or in LLL), should be exposed 
 
EN 57   EN to activities that contribute to the devel opment of entrepreneurial activity. Specific 
modules dedicated to entrepreneurship should be included into in each study programme. 
– Entrepreneurship education should start as earl y as possible; exposure to situations where 
entrepreneurial attitude can be  developed is crucial (approp riate pedagogical approaches). 
Entrepreneurship research 
– Develop entrepreneurial research in order to convince the research community of the 
importance of entrepreneurship related issues. 
Measuring and demonstrating the impa ct of entrepreneurial education 
– Relevant measures and criteria need to be de fined to assess the outcomes and the impact of 
entrepreneurial attitude on individu al, organisational and societal level 
– Successful mechanisms for developing en trepreneurship need to be shared  
A2.5 Mobility 
In spite of a number of success stories with st udent placements and collaborative project work 
the level of interaction and mobility be tween the two sectors remains low.  
The value of mobility 
– The value of mobility needs to be recognised by  university and business in all its different 
modalities  
– Mobility is not an end in itself; it shoul d have a purpose linked to career paths.  
– Targeted actions towards SMEs are necessary to  convince them of the value of internships 
Supporting academic and student mobility 
– Legal frameworks for researchers and student s have to be flexible (social security, 
pensions, grants etc) 
– For academics there needs to be accreditation and recognition of such work by universities 
– For students: Placements should be an inte gral part of curriculum and accredited 
– There should also be provision for the mobility of managerial staff 
• Increasing use of industry funded chairs 
– Industry chairs linked to co mpanies should be encourage 
– It is important that industry chairs are given time to maintain their links to the external 
environment 
– Other short term mechanisms should be explored  on bringing in industr y people to teach or 
to feed back on the mobility schemes between their companies and the university  
 
EN 58   EN Mobility and the global dimension 
– Current mobility initiatives tend to be ra ther locally based, but in a global world a 
European dimension of mobility is required. There are increasing number of international initiatives, such as the Marie Curi e Actions, which should be encouraged. 
A2.6 Knowledge Transfer 
Innovation is the only possible an swer to the main challenges f acing today’s world. It is also 
key to the competitiveness of Europe and its ente rprises. Knowledge tran sfer is about building 
lasting strategic alliances between equals. It needs to be redefined in the widest sense. It is 
about people transferring knowledge between business a nd higher education – not 
mechanisms. This encompasses education, resear ch and innovation and in that sense many of 
the existing conclusions are re levant to knowledge transfer. 
Legal and funding framework 
– In many countries there are still legal and funding disincenti ves for engaging in knowledge 
transfer 
Overcoming institutional barriers 
– In order to enhance knowledge  transfer it is necessary to  overcome faculty boundaries 
– Universities (faculties)  and businesses have to better  understand their respective needs 
– A change in mindset on both sides is necessa ry to facilitate open cooperation : Business 
“in” universities 
Knowledge transfer in ideas and management 
– Knowledge transfer mechanisms cannot be sepa rated into those which relate to research 
and those which relate to education. A more  joined-up approach to relation with the 
business community will be beneficial to enhancing University-Business Cooperation 
– The use of standard industry management pr ocedures in university knowledge transfer 
mechanisms should be explored 
– Development of joint research projects with businesses should  be strengthened 
– University-Business Cooperation can facilitate exchange of experience from traditional 
research partnerships taking plac e in universities to companies