Managing knowledge through collaboration: multiple case studies of managing research in university laboratories in Thailand

Universities are widely regarded not only as teaching establishments but also as organizations that create new knowledge and innovation through research. As such, research collaboration has been found to play a significant role in improving and enhancing universities innovation potential of organizations. This paper presents the results from multiple case studies on managing knowledge through collaboration currently in use at three university research units. The initial findings indicate that (1) Collaboration provides access to a greater breadth and depth of research knowledge than pure in-house development. (2) Trust and balanced mutual benefits among partners are the main factors to ensure successful research collaboration. (3) Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs): communication, collaboration and storage technologies, are essential tools for collaboration but not sufficient for research project success. Therefore, R&D units in universities in developing countries that have limited in-house resources and wish to strengthen their research capability should implement strategies that aim at extending their potential through collaboration with a variety of external partners.