In Episode 12 of Building Value in Innovation Ecosystems, we welcomed Sarah Jaber and Todd Davey with the University Industry Innovation Network (UIIN) to explore the evolving role of universities in regional and global innovation ecosystems. From reimagining academic institutions as anchors to unpacking opportunities for collaborations, Sarah and Todd offered a unique perspective on elements of successful university-industry partnerships.
Drawing from more than a decade of research and global engagement, UIIN has identified five primary roles universities can play within innovation ecosystems:
These roles reflect a broader shift from purely academic outputs to more holistic contributions across economic and societal dimensions.
While university-industry partnerships are widely recognized as vital to innovation, Sarah and Todd acknowledged persistent barriers:
They also highlighted the importance of boundary spanners—people who can bridge institutional cultures—and encouraged ecosystem players to focus on shared drivers rather than just eliminating friction. “...it's useful to try to reduce [barriers] or eliminate them if you can, but it's probably more productive to focus on the things that unite the two parties,” said Todd.
Two compelling examples underscored what successful university-industry collaboration can look like:
Both cases started small, building trust over time. As Sarah put it, “It's a bit of a cliché, but we often say it’s like two people getting to know each other. You need to go through this initiation phase—really understand each other's objectives.” From there, these collaborations evolved into more strategic, multi-faceted partnerships that benefited both the university and the industry partner.
While spin-outs are often held up as the pinnacle of university innovation, UIIN encourages embracing a broader lens. Todd and Sarah introduced the European concept of valorization—the process of turning research into any form of real-world value, whether economic, social, or environmental.
“The work that you're doing, as long as it's making its way out of the university in some form that is not a publication, is actually impact. And you are creating value through that,” Sarah explained. This shift in mindset helps academic researchers see that their contributions don’t need to result in a company or a patent to matter—they can still have meaningful, real-world outcomes.
The “valley of death” between research and commercialization remains a serious challenge. Sarah and Todd pointed to several promising strategies:
They emphasized that many universities lack the resources of institutions like the Technical University of Munich, making shared services, longer-term relationship funding, and pathway-based programs more realistic and impactful. Investing in entrepreneurial mindsets—not just startups—was a recurring theme, aligning university education with the evolving demands of the modern workforce.