Benefits of Working with Industry

Dear Colleagues –

Here is hoping that you are healthy as you successfully conclude another semester and academic year! Congratulations!

In the last newsletter (click here to view), I wrote about the rise of the number of opportunities for collaborations with industry partners, and I also provided some selected resources that you may consider leveraging in your search efforts. Hopefully, you’ve also seen e-mail blasts containing opportunities that have come via the Office of the Vice President for Research and your respective Associate Deans for Research.

For this month’s newsletter, I’d like to focus in on the benefits of industry sponsored research (“ISR”)that could enrich one’s research efforts and elevate the level of activities and resources. While it is true that direct resources are of interest to all researchers (Who doesn’t want more funding?), there are other potential benefits that could help enhance one’s efforts to grow their research. Here are a few to consider:

• Plant the seed for long-term R&D relationships. Engaging with the industry partner gives you an opportunity to learn their areas of interest. This insight could allow you the opportunity to see where a market may be headed technologically and can align your research in ways to fulfil their future needs.
• Find a “home” for your innovations. The innovations you have disclosed to CURF or the unique capabilities in your research lab could potentially attract licensing or ISR opportunities. This is especially true if part of the value proposition is creating a competitive advantage for the industry partner.
• Prepare your students for the workforce. Part of the University’s mission is preparing today’s student for the future workforce. If your students become future employees to industry partners with which you collaborate, you have created a potential pipeline back to your laboratory for future opportunities.

If you have any topics that you might be interested in exploring further, please do not hesitate to reach out via our Inquiry Intake Form! Our mission at CURF is to serve the faculty and staff at Clemson so that we are able to help you continue to reach new heights through your research endeavors.

As always, thank you for all you do to advance Clemson’s research enterprise and maintain its R1 Carnegie designation!

Best,

Chase