An Inquiry into the Status and Nature of University-Industry Research Collaborations in Japan and Korea

University-industry collaboration (UIC) has become an increasingly frequent innovation strategy, especially in the Western hemisphere. But we know much less about such research collaborations in East Asia. This study explores and contrasts the current nature and status of UICs in Japan and Korea focusing on factors that facilitate the development and management of such research linkages. The findings indicate that UICs are path dependent, i.e. firms benefit from their experience with previous projects when collaborating with universities. At the same time, cultural factors appear to result in significant differences in the organization of UICs in Japan and Korea.