CESAER publishes report on enhancing PhD cooperation with industry to drive European innovation

On 18 October 2024, CESAER, the association of leading universities of science and technology, released a report on ‘Models of engagement for PhDs with non-academic partners’, which offers recommendations for future-proof engineering education to tackle global challenges.

Authored by a team led by Yvonne Kinnaird from the University of Strathclyde, this report explores how partnerships between universities and non-academic entities—especially through "industrial doctorate” programs—can serve as key drivers of innovation. The recommendations outlined in the report provide a strategic roadmap for fostering stronger collaborations between universities, industry stakeholders , policymakers, and EU institutions to advance Europe’s leadership in research and innovation.

Key recommendations:

• To university leaders: enhance partnerships with industry to create more industrial doctorate opportunities and improve career pathways for PhD candidates.
• To industry partners: provide greater financial and practical support for industrial doctorate programs and collaborate with universities to tailor research training to industry needs.
• To policymakers: create supportive policies and funding mechanisms to strengthen industrial doctorate programmes and foster innovation across sectors.
• To EU institutions: expand funding for industrial doctorate initiatives through programmes like Horizon Europe and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, while streamlining regulations for easier collaboration between academia and industry.

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CESAER Report Models of engagement for PhDs with non-academic partners