FIRMS RESEARCH-AND-DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY AND INTENSITY AND THE UNIVERSITY-ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIPS

The interaction between universities and industry in areas concerned w ith science and technology is part of the broader national infrastruct ure involving other higher education institutions, public and private research organizations, and companies that are engaged in the generati on, transfer, and use of knowledge, information, and technology. This interaction has become more formal, frequent, and planned since the 19 70s, and has aroused a growing interest in governments and policy make rs, from both developed and developing countries, who still regard it as an under-utilized scientific technological resource. However, it is important to point out that universities and firms are different soci al entities, presenting different nature and objectives, that, inevita bly, affect and limit their interaction. This article aims to shed som e light on one of these dissimilarities-that related to the firms' R&D activity and intensity, that may influence their linkages with the ac ademic world. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.