Industry — Higher Education Collaborations within Small Business Clusters

Abstract

The beginning of modern industry–education collaboration in the UK can be conveniently dated to the turn of the twentieth century, when the economic imperatives of the ‘industrialized economy’ began to exert growing pressure upon both employers and educators. At the same time, the considerable contribution made by the small business sector to the development and stability of the British economy also began to be noted and acknowledged. This article analyses instances of industry–higher education collaborations within small business clusters. Based on longitudinal case studies involving seven cluster formations, it details the extent, contents and intensity of small business collaboration with local and regional universities. The author concludes that, in order to be successful, the leaders of a small business cluster must believe in the inherent benefits of collaborative projects with institutes of higher education. Furthermore, all partners and stakeholders must be fully committed and should be prepared to invest time, effort and money in pursuing various collaborative and research projects of mutual interest and benefit.