Your cart is currently empty!
Achtergrond
Bridging the gap between research and industry
Reading time: 3 minutes
In the high tech industry, software systems tend to be extremely sophisticated. Companies often rely on research institutes or universities to solve their research challenges. As these two worlds speak different languages, the implementation of those research results often fails. ICT Group and ESI (TNO) prove that a collaboration between industry and academia can be smooth sailing, if the right people and skills are involved.
Software systems in the high tech industry have become so complicated that they push conventional software engineering practices beyond their limits. This is why high tech companies increasingly collaborate with universities and research institutes to address challenges in their software systems.
These kinds of innovation processes go through different stages of development, defined by the corresponding Technology Readiness Level (TRL), an index to measure the maturity and usability of an evolving technology. Universities usually focus on fundamental research (TRL 1 to 3), whereas research institutes also cover validating the technology in the lab and prototyping (TRL 3 to 7). The high tech companies bringing the innovation to market concern themselves with prototype testing and completing the system in its operational environment (TRL 7 to 9). Though the pipeline seems efficient, partnerships between academia and business often suffer from a disconnect between these different phases of the innovation process.
This article is exclusively available to premium members of Bits&Chips. Already a premium member? Please log in. Not yet a premium member? Become one for only €15 and enjoy all the benefits.
