We investigate how universities' research quality shapes their engagement with industry. Previous research has predominantly found a positive relationship between academics' research quality and their commercialization activities. Here we use industry involvement measures that are broader than...

We investigate how the research standing of universities informs academics' engagement with industry via collaborative research, contract research and consulting. We argue that the establishment of university-industry relationships is informed by three factors: faculty perceived complementarity...

In December 2003 Richard Lambert released his report on business-university collaboration, which highlightedmany examples of good collaboration, but called for further development and investment.1 The Lambert Review alsorecognised that the UK Government is pursuing an agenda of regionalisation...

This paper considers the impact that information and communicationtechnology (ICT) has on firms’ choices over organisational form. In particular,the decision over whether to produce in-house or outsource services,and the decision over the location of activity. ICT reduces the transactionand...

This Briefing Note considers recent trends in specialisation, outsourcing and offshoring of businessservices.Specialisation within a firm happens when a firm organises an activity in a specialised unit, for example,when a firm moves payroll activities out of the back office of a factory, and...

The ability to create a competitive and thriving economy is partly dependent onknowledge production and innovation. So how well is the UK performing in theseimportant areas? To assess the UK’s comparative performance, and gauge how itmight perform in the future, it is a useful exercise to...

Offshoring – the practice of sourcing business services fromoverseas – ignites controversy. The loss of UK jobs in businessservices to foreign providers makes headline news. Theimplication is that the UK has become less competitive in thebusiness services market. But what is the reality?...