Fostering relationships between industry and academia is good business

From the perspective of an industry manufacturer, it is sometimes difficult to promote activities such as academic outreach and research. While business-to-business investments are commonplace and provide the most direct investment-to-return ratio calculation, some companies find that allocating resources for academia provides long-term benefits and opportunities. The symbiotic relationship between business and education helps manifest research resources, knowledge exchange, mentoring, and future opportunities for the students, staff, facilities, and industry as a whole. Here are some cases where investing in the intangible relationships with academia proved to be good business.