Innovation and university collaboration: paradox and complexity within the knowledge economy

The paper will explore the nature and impact of universities and other higher education institutions (HEIs) on firms' innovation and growth in an increasingly distributed and open innovation system, using a survey of some 400 firms in the UK. The analysis reveals significant differences in firms' collaboration with HEIs across the UK and the value and impact that such collaborations have on a firm's development. The nature and effects of such collaboration vary significantly between the type of firm involved and their location, and the analysis investigates this in relation to various aspects of innovative activity and firms' performance. Much of the nature and effects of such collaboration are, as one would expect, counterintuitive and highlight the care we should place on assessing the role of universities and other HEIs in open innovation systems.