Science-based technologies: university-industry interactions in four fields

In recent years, the co-operation between industrial firms and universities has increased considerably, but the interaction pattern in different techn ological fields is not uniform. In science-based fields, university departm ents have a distinct focus on basic research and the major interest of indu stry is the observation of science. In less science-based fields, the solut ion of technical problems is a major concern of industry. In all fields, th e exchange of knowledge in techno-scientific communities is a crucial eleme nt of interaction. In Germany, strong intra-disciplinary ties between unive rsities and industry in mechanical engineering obviously imply an insuffici ent openness to, and integration of, new technologies. The particular combi nation of a long-standing culture of co-operation and the economic success in the mechanical industry can be interpreted in terms of a specific path-d ependant evolution of a stable sector of the national system of innovation, but with the tendency to lock-in effects. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. A ll rights reserved.