University industry interactions at three different stages : micro evidence from Mexico (conference theme: University-Industry Technology Exchange Over Coming Blockages in Triple Helix interactions in Developing Countries)

Abstract

The main aim of this paper is to analyze research organizations-industry interactions from both perspectives during three different stages of the linking process. This study is based on original data collected through two surveys carried out in Mexico during 2008. One focuses on firms and the other focuses on researchers at research organizations; 387 firms and 289 academic researchers answered the questionnaires. Both surveys where designed by an international comparative project entitled “Interactions between universities and firms: searching for paths to support the changing role of universities in the South”.1 Results of the analysis suggest that interactions are sector specific during the first and second stage of the linking process -the reasons to interact and the type of knowledge flows differ across sectors. Differences are observed between both agents perceptions during the first and second stages -they differ about the main reasons to interact (first stage) and the most important knowledge flows (second stage), but they have common perspectives on the main benefits from interactions (third stage).