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“Approaches to Risk Management in Research and Development: An Analysis
of Public / Private Partnerships in Ireland”
Dissertation submitted in part fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters in
Business Administration (Project Management) at Dublin Business School
James Hayes
August 2016
Name of Institution: Dublin Business School
Programme of Study: Masters In Business Administration (Project Management)
Year of Submission: 2016
Name of Author: James Hayes
ID Number of Author: 10314984
Supervisor: Paul Taffe
Word count: 20,078
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Table of Contents
SECTION
Page
1.0 Declaration…………………………………………………………………………………………..
5
2.0 Acknowledgments …………………………………………………………………..
6
3.0 Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………………
6
4.0 Introduction …………………………………………………………………………….
7
4.1 Background …………………………………………………………….………..
8
4.2 Risk management…………………………………………………………………………….
9
4.3 Research Objectives…………………………………………………………………………. 14
4.4 Primary Research Question……………………………………………………………….. 14
4.4.1 Sub-question 1………………………………………………………………………….. 14
4.4.2 Sub-question 2…………………………………………………………………………. 14
4.5 Recipients……………………………………………………………………………………….
14
4.6 Suitability of the Researcher…………………………………………………………….
14
5.0 Literature review…………………………………………………………………………………..
16
5.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………. 16
5.2 Theme 1: R&D Risk Management in Industry ……………………………….
16
5.3 Theme 2: R&D Risk Management in Academia…………………………..
19
5.4 Theme 3: CSFs in Industry Academic Collaborations……………………….
21
5.5 Theme 4: Impact of Culture on Risk Management………………………….. 27
5.6 Literature Conclusion……………………………………………………………………
28
6.0 Research Methodology………………………………………………………………………..
28
6.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………….
28
6.2 Research Design………………………………………………………………………….
28
6.2.1 Research Philosophy………………………………………………………………
28
6.2.2 Research Approach……………………………………………………………….. 28
6.2.3 Research Strategy………………………………………………………………….
30
6.2.4 Sampling – Selecting Respondents………………………………………….. 31
6.3 Data Collection Instruments…………………………………………………………… 32
6.4 Data Analysis Procedures……………………………………………………………… 34
6.5 Research Ethics…………………………………………………………………………..
35
7.0 Results……………………………………………………………………………………………….
36
7.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………
37
7.2 Project Commercial Risk……………………………………………………………………. 38
7.3 Project and Risk Management……………………………………………………………. 37
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7.4 Risk Pertaining to Availability of Resources………………………………………….. 38
7.5 Risks pertaining to Suitability of Resources………………………………………….. 39
7.6 Risk Pertaining to Stakeholder Alignment……………………………………………… 41
7.7Risks pertaining to Research Supports…………………………………………………. 42
7.8 Risks pertaining Critical to Success Factors (CFS)…………………………………
43
8.0 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………….
45
8.1 Discussion……………………………………………………………………………………….. 45
8.2 Project and Risk Management……………………………………………………………. 46
8.3 Risk to Research resources and Research supports………………………….
48
8.4 Culture……………………………………………………………………………………………. 50
8.5 Critical to Success Factors………………………………………………………………… 51
8.6 Stakeholder Alignment……………………………………………………………………… 52
8.7 Risks to the Suitability and Availability of Researchers……………………….
52
9.0 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………….
52
9.1 Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………………
53
9.2 Hypothesis and Future Research…………………………………………………………
55
9.3 Limitations of Research……………………………………………………………………… 56
10.0 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..
57
10.1 Learning Style and Learning Reflections…………………………………………….
57
11.0 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………….
62
Appendix A: Transcribed Interviews and open coding……………………………………..
69
Appendix B: Axial coding…………………………………………………………………………….
124
Appendix C: Thesis Plan…………………………………………………………………………….
125
Appendix D: List of Government Funded Research Institutes…………………………..
126
.
List of Figures
Figure 1 Irish Funding Agencies (Ferguson, 2016)………………………………………………………. 7
Figure 2: Geographical Location of Enterprise Ireland funded Technology Gateways………. 9
Figure 3 PMBOK Project Risk Management Frameworks…………………………………………….. 11
Figure 4: PMBOK Risk Management Methodology……………………………………………………… 12
Figure 5: Institute of Shock Physics Organization structure and Stakeholder Map……………
13
Figure 6: A framework combining risk and innovation management……………………………… 18
Figure 7: Cultural impact on project risk project impact……………………………………………
26
Figure 8: The Research Onion………………………………………………………………………………….. 28
Figure 9: Sampling Techniques…………………………………………………………………………………
31
Figure 10: Flowchart for Selecting a Probability Sampling Methodology…………………………
31
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Figure 11: Different Types of Interview……………………………………………………………………….
32
Figure 12: Comparison of Approaches to Grounded Theory…………………………………………
33
Figure 13 : Kolb’s experiential Learning cycle…………………………………………………………….. 57
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1.0 Declaration
This project is solely the work of the author and is produced and submitted in partial
fulfilment of the Final Year Dissertation Project requirement of the Masters in Business
Administration (Project Management). I declare that no portion of the work referred to in the
dissertation has been submitted in support of an application for another degree or
qualification of this or any other university or other institute of learning. Further, this research
project expresses the views of the author solely and do not necessarily represent the views
of research participants in isolation. The author alone is responsible for any omissions or
errors.
____________
James Hayes
August 2016
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2.0 Acknowledgments
I would sincerely like to express my gratitude to Dublin Business School for providing course
modules of sufficient detail and quality to provide me with the skills and competencies
required to undertake and complete this MBA thesis. I would also like to thank all the
academic staff for their contribution to this course and the engaging nature of the subject
matter they presented.
I would like to thank Linda Murphy for the administration assistance provided during the
academic year.
I would sincerely like to thank my Supervisor Paul Taffe who not only offered guidance and
assistance during this thesis but who more importantly instilled in me a passion for project
management that I hope I will retain through out my career.
Finally, I would like to thank my two wonderful children, Lauryn and Lucy and my Wife
Carmel who have been the foundation upon which this degree was build and without whose
support I would never have finished.
James Hayes
August 2016
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3.0 Abstract:
The increasing number of Government funded research centres in Ireland is being
established with the strategic objective of enabling collaborative access for Industry to skills
competencies and equipment within academia. The driving force for this strategy is the
development of new products and services which are ultimately expected to increase
economic growth and sustainability in the Irish economy through increased employed and
exchequer revenue. Nevertheless, a distinct cultural difference exists between the two
entities and an element of mistrust exists between both the academic and industrial
communities. Yet, the success of these Industry/ Academic collaborations (IACs) could have
profound implications for the future of the Irish economy and its reputation for high level
research.
This research will investigate the risks associated with IACs and determine the risk
mitigation strategies applied by the consortia investigated to increase the probability of
project success at a local level and the success of IACs at a global level. A significant
amount of tax payers money has been invested in public private R&D partnerships and this
research will aim to ensure that, not only is this money used effectively, but that it generates
the returns to the economy as expected by the Irish Government and its associated research
funding institutions. This research will also suggest further strategies for increasing
collaborations in IACs and provide suitable further areas of research to ensure that this
national strategy for innovative product development is not only successful at an Irish level
but also has global implications for industry lead academic research and the benefits for
society that that by this research model can provide.
4.0 Introduction
4.1Background
Figure 1 Irish Funding Agencies (Ferguson, 2016)
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The Irish Government through Science foundation Ireland (SFI), Enterprise Ireland (EI) and
the Industrial Development Agency, Ireland (IDA) have invested approximately €500 million
over the previous 5 years on 42 Industry academic collaborative (IAC) research centres
located throughout Ireland
These Research Providing Organisations (RPOs) are categorized as Technology
Gateways, located in Institutes of Technology (IoTs). Technology Centres located in IoTs
and Universities and SFI centres predominantly located in Universities. While the remit of
each type of centre varies in terms of the nature and type of research they undertake and
the developmental horizons they address they all have one defining feature, continued state
funded is contingent on ongoing and substantial co-investment from the Industry partners,
hence, these centres are all collaborative in nature. The success of these centres may be
defined in terms of the value of the research they provide to Industry and the ability of
Industry to translate this research into tangible benefits for the economy in terms of new
product development (NPD), increased employment and enhanced exchequer revenue.
Numerous international economic studies have highlighted the importance and value of
public investment in scientific research. A recent economic analysis commissioned by the
British Treasury concluded that for every £1 invested by Government in basic research, the
private return was 37p per year (Ferguson, 2016). Therefore, National Governments across
the world have encouraged and supported these collaborative ventures as this model
enables Industry access to the skills, expertise, competencies and infrastructure available in
academia. This model is particularly important for small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
where development of internal R&D capabilities is typically beyond their financial capacity.
Furthermore, the establishment of a successful research infrastructure can, and is being,
used to attract foreign direct investment as evidenced by the co- funding of Technology
Centres by the IDA. However, the long term success and continued funding of these
collaborative ventures will depend on the success of the projects and the alignment of goals,
objectives and expectations amongst the stakeholders.
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Figure 2: Geographical Location of Enterprise Ireland funded Technology Gateways
(enterprise-ireland.com, 2016).
4.2 Risk Management
Project management is now almost universally accepted as a necessary or requisite
framework for the successful development of new processes, products, services and as a
mechanism to successfully implementing change within an organisation. The PMBOK lists
10 knowledge areas which are required to successfully execute a project (Snyder, 2013).
One of these is Risk Management which can be applied to 1 or all of the process groups of
Initiation,
Planning,
Executing,
Monitoring/Controlling
and
Closure.
The
Project
Management Institute defines project risk as “an uncertain event or condition that, if it
occurs, has a positive or negative effect on a project’s objectives” (Project Management
Institute, 2013). The Association for Project Management (APM) uses a similar definition,
defining risk as “an uncertain event or set of circumstances that, should it occur, will have an
effect on the achievement of the project’s objectives” (apm.org.uk, 2016). The processes of
project risk management as outlined in ISO 31000 (ISO, 2009), an international standard for
risk management, are representative of the common project management process found in
these methodologies:
Communicate and consult with stakeholders throughout the project.
Establish the context for project risk management e.g. policies, roles
Identify risks events and their causes
Analyse risks – i.e. consequence and likelihood of each risk event.
Evaluate risks – prioritisation of risk events for management.
Treat risks – i.e. implementation of strategies to manage risk events
Monitor and review effectiveness of the project risk management process.
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However, arguably the most extensive and well executed risk management methodologies
have been developed by the Project Management Institute (PMI) as described in the
PMBOK. The PMBOK is an extremely extensive methodology for identifying, analysing,
ranking, mitigating, quantifying, and costing risks throughout the entire project life cycle. It is
perhaps one of the most time and labour intensive processes associated with project
management due to its strong correlation to project success in terms of scope cost and
schedule adherence. A full explanation of the PMBOK risk methodologies is outside the
scope of this research thesis; however Figure 3 demonstrates its complexity, while Figure 4
demonstrates its integration in relation to all process groups and knowledge areas of project
management.
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Figure 3 PMBOK Project Risk Management Framework including Inputs Tools &
Techniques and Outputs (A guide to the project management body of knowledge, 2013 p.
312)
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Figure 4: PMBOK Risk Management Methodology and its Integration into and
Relevance to all Project Management Process and knowledge groups (A guide to the
project management body of knowledge, 2013 p. 320
Further to the PMBOK methodology, a body of evidence is available in the published
literature demonstrating a positive correlation between Risk management and project
success (de Bakker, Boonstra, & Wortmann, 2011), while further studies have shown a
positive relationship between project risk management and the success of research and
development (R&D) projects, (Mu, Peng, & MacLachlan, 2009; Salomo, Weise, &
Gemünden, 2007). However, while Risk Management procedures and protocols are well
defined for Industry (see Section 5.2) there is little published literature on risk mitigation in
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academia with the limited evidence available suggesting that it is poorly defined in this sector
(see Section 5.3). This raises the question as to how Risk Management is addressed in
collaborations between the two entities. Furthermore the stakeholder map is complex (see
Figure 5 for an example) and includes inter alia the Industry Partners, Funding Agencies, the
host University, the Research Centre, The Principal Investigators and the Technical Transfer
offices all of which may have different definitions of success; hence, they may also have a
different understanding of risk further increasing the complexity of risk management in this
environment. Furthermore, this is likely to create tensions between the stakeholders
potentially compromising the future success of the research centres. As a result this
research aims to determine what risk mitigation strategies are deployed in IACs; hence the
main research questions question is proposed in the following section.
Figure 5: Institute of Shock Physics Organization structure and Stakeholder Map. (
Philbin, 2011 pg 107).
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4.3 Research Objectives
The primary research objective of this thesis is determine what risk management strategies
are deployed in IACs and why. As explained in Section 3.2.3 this research is Inductive and
qualitative; hence, no discrete hypothesis can be developed prior to the research being
conducted, Nevertheless, the answers to these questions and the results and conclusions
from this research could ultimately lead to a framework by which Industry funded research
centres in Ireland and globally can identify best practice and the barriers to implementation
of risk management practices. This could be expected to lead to the realisation of benefits
for all stakeholders, in particular the efficient and effective use of taxpayer’s money in
maximising research benefits for society at large. However, as will be explained in Section
3.0. Due to the lack of published literature in the area of IACs this research will be
exploratory and Inductive; as a result no hypothesis can be formed. Nevertheless the
outputs form this thesis may form the foundation for further quantitative and deductive
research in this nascent field of enquiry. This could lead to an established, recognised and
accepted paradigm for risk management in IACs
4.4 Primary Research Question
“What Risk Analysis Techniques are Deployed in Industry Funded Academic
Research Centres”?
As discussed in Section 5.2 there is a wealth of risk management techniques available to
researchers in Industry. The selection and deployment of these methodologies depend on a
number of different factors including inter alia the type of research, stage of development
and organizational culture and what risks are relevant to the nature of the project. The
elucidation of these factors will be important to understanding what risk analysis techniques
have been selected. There are also 2 sub-questions related to the main question that will be
need to be addressed in order to fully understand the nature of Risk Management in these
joint ventures. These are:
4.4.1 Sub-question 1:
“Why Were the Risk Management Techniques Selected and How are they
Implemented and Monitored?”
This question is important in understanding how the risk management techniques were
selected. Were they imposed by industry as a prerequisite to funding? Were they resisted
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by academia as being barriers to creativity and innovation? Did this cause tensions and
conflicts with the potential to impact ongoing relationships between the partners? Who was
responsible for identifying risk? Is risk management the responsibility of the host institution
or the remit of the Industry partner? These are topics that are not covered in the literature yet
could be considered fundamental to project success.
4.4.2 Sub-question 2
“What are the Critical to Success Factors of Industry Funded Research Centres and
Do They Differ Across the Various Stakeholders?”
In order to manage risk it is first necessary to define risk which is not possible without first
understanding what constitutes project success. Due to the complex stakeholder map there
may be various and perhaps conflicted definitions of project success. Therefore, this
question will attempt to elucidate factors relevant to the success of IACs in Ireland and their
relation to Risk Management.
4.5 Recipients for Research
Dublin Business School will be the principal recipient for this dissertation entitled
“Approaches to Risk Management in Research and Development: An Analysis of Public /
Private Partnerships in Ireland” This dissertation is submitted to satisfy the final module of
the Masters Business Administration (Project Management) course at Dublin Business
School.
4.6 Suitability of the Researcher
The topic of Project Management and Risk Management in particular is of extreme interest
to this researcher having worked in both the public and private sectors in the field of
research and development. Previous academic achievements include a BA in Natural
Sciences together with an M.Sc. and Ph.D. from Trinity College Dublin alos in the natural
sciences. I am, as of June 2016, A Project Management Professional (PMP) as accredited
by the Project Management Institute (PMI). I therefore, believe I am suitably qualified to
conduct this research
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5.0 Literature Review
5.1 Introduction
As per the research question and related sub-questions 4 themes were identified these are:
Theme 1: R&D Risk Management in Industry
Theme 2: R&D Risk Management in Academia
Theme 3: Critical to Success Factors and Risks associated with IACs
Theme 4: The Impact of Culture on Risk Management
A critical review of the literature pertaining to each of these themes will be conducted in the
following Sections. This literature review will attempt to identify current risk management
strategies in Industry, their correlation to project success and the reasons for selection of
certain mitigation strategies. Risk management in academia will also be addressed and how
it differs from Industry, potential barriers to implementation and critical to success factors in
IACs as defined in the available literature. The Impact of culture on Risk Management and
identification of risk will also be addressed.
5.2 Theme 1: R&D Risk Management in Industry
Of the types of projects undertaken by Industry is widely acknowledged that research
and Development projects (R&D), also known innovation projects are inherently uncertain,
as a result the risks associated with these types of projects could be categorized as
extremely high (Luppino, et al 2014). Furthermore, the number and nature of risks
associated with these projects are numerous. In order to identify risk management
techniques and determine best practice for R&D projects a number of studies were
conducted. However, these findings suggested that some of these frameworks and risk
management techniques were more applicable to certain industries than others; as a result
there is no consensus on the type of risk management techniques that can be universally
applied to R&D projects. Carbone and Tippett (2004) and Souza dos Santos and Cabral
(2008) suggest the use of Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) coupled with the PMBOK
risk management methodology. Wageman (2004) recommends the use of checklists and
templates, interviewing experts in the field of risk analysis, analysing decisions and their
impacts and network analysis coupled with cost and schedule risk simulation. Kwak and
Dixon (2008) in a comprehensive framework expanded on previous research by elucidating
13 practices for risk management which include inter alia formulating a risk decision model,
leveraging academic research and expertise, outsourcing where possible, focusing on
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regulatory risk, using scenario planning, employing risk management expertise and
controlling project timelines. Park’s, 2010, framework consists of a three-stage process
containing risk assessment, risk management and performance measurement which
according to the author demonstrated a reduction in risk with a concurrent increase in project
performance. Vargas-Hernández (2011) suggests a 4 phase risk management methodology,
namely, identifying parameters, analysing, solving and monitoring, and lessons learnt. A
number of studies including Wang, Lin and Huang (2010) and Rotaru (2014) have
demonstrated that alignment of the project to corporate strategy and the implementation of a
balanced scorecard (BSC) as a performance measuring system increased the likelihood of
R&D project success. Following this research Wang and Yang (2012) suggest that
managerial flexibility in relation to R&D planning i.e. not rigidly applying protocols but
tailoring the approach to the nature of the projects and company culture was demonstrated
to decrease technical and market risks. Supporting this assertion, Sauser et al. (2009)
recommending the use of project management contingency theory, which states that in
specific environments, different approaches are more or less effective, which may help
establish new perceptions on project success and failure beyond the traditional critical to
success factors such as time and cost. Contingency theory has also been demonstrated to
have a positive effect on risk management in project portfolio management (Teller et al.
2014). Finally Bowers and Khorakian (2014) present a risk management model for
innovation projects that uses a stage gate process during which the project is analysed at
various points throughout the project life cycle where if it fails to meet predetermined criteria
the project can be terminated. In addition, the researchers suggest that risk management
needs to be applied in differential manner with simple, unobtrusive techniques early in the
project life cycle with more substantial, quantitative methods being considered during later
stages. The season being, the authors believed that excessive risk management could deter
radical suggestions, hence, stifling creativity. This assertion is further supported by Dewett
(2004) who recommends risk management is deployed selectively in R&D projects, as
excessive risk management, particularly in the early stages, has the potential to restrict
innovation.
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Figure 6: A framework combining risk and innovation management (Bowers and
Khorakian, 2014)
Nevertheless while risk management is also universally regarded as an essential tool for
ensuring project success the degree of risk management and the application of associated
tools and techniques has been demonstrated to vary significantly across different industries.
Walewski et al. (2004) report that projects occurring within one or more of the following
features are significantly more likely to need a comprehensive, detailed risk management
process:
large projects,
long planning horizons,
substantial resources,
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significant novelty,
Complexity
There is also debate in the literature as to when where and how often Risk Management are
conducted. According to Kwak and Dixon (2008) as the size and complexity of the project
increases, the effort for risk management increases exponentially, as does the cost and
resources required to effectively carry out the program. Other authors suggest that risk
management is only applied in the early stages of the project as uncertainty is a more
common feature during this phase of the project management lifecycle. Kwak and Dixon
(2008) undertaking research in the pharmaceutical industry suggest that sometimes risk
management is only being done during initiation because it is a formal requirement for
approval of the project plan and not because it is a valuable project management tool in its
own right.
Interesting it has been demonstrated that risk management is not an easy
straightforward applicable solution in unforeseeable highly uncertain contexts such as
research and development projects. (Besner and Hobbs, 2012) have demonstrated that risk
management, as it is generally defined in the literature and performed by experienced
project practitioners is confined to relatively “certain environments”. In fact, the researchers
concluded all traditional project management tools and techniques are used more
extensively on better defined projects. Specifically looking at risk management has brought
into light the systematic bias of the project management paradigm towards well-defined
projects. This has possible ramifications for IAC research projects where scope and project
character may be poorly defined while concurrently project risk is at its highest.
5.3 Theme 2: R&D Risk Management in Academia
“The Future We Want” the outcome document of the 2012 United Nations Conference on
Sustainable Development suggests that the advancement of sustainability through societal
collaboration with various functions such as education, research and outreach will
increasingly constitute a core mission for universities. Projecting this trend out into the
following decade, these documents suggest three unique scenarios; namely, a socially-,
environmentally- and economically-oriented university. Pursuit of sustainable development
through each of these would see unique and fundamental changes. These would affect the
principle university mission, focus areas, emphasized disciplines, view of education for
sustainable development, core external partners, projects and outputs with external
stakeholders, geographical focus, and main functions involved. This is a significant
departure for a university from one that is education driven to one which is commercially
focussed through commercialisation of research through collaboration with industry and the
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formation of campus spin out companies (Binaghi et al., 2016). Therefore, significant
pressure is being applied to universities to engage in IAC and increase R&D revenue
through this process.
While numerous studies have demonstrated the positive effects of risk management
when applied to R&D projects these have been primarily conducted in an industry context
where critical to success factors and stakeholder maps are well defined. However, the
literature on the benefits of risk management in academia are less clear with little published
literature on risk mitigation strategies in the public sector. Indeed there is little evidence
suggesting that academic projects adhere to project management principles and guidelines
(Mustaro & Rossi, 2013) ;although there is evidence suggesting that the prevalence of
project management offices (PMOs) is increasing in university research institutes (Philbin,
2011). Baccarini, & Melville (2011) in an exploratory study on an academic Institute in
Australia found that formal risk management is rarely or never applied to research projects
and that the critical risks related to the quality are not ranked as significant. They conclude
by suggesting that further research into the risk management of research projects is
warranted in order to add to the existing limited body of knowledge in this area. Bardsley
(1999) suggests if project risk is ignored, then the project portfolio may not be managed in
an optimal way. As a result portfolio managers in Industry are risk averse as a high risk
project with a chance of success at 10% provides little information to the manager as good
researchers are unlikely to differentiate themselves from bad in a reasonable time. Whereas
a less risky project, with a 90% chance of success, enabled more robust reward and
incentive schemes to be employed. Traditionally academic research projects could be
categorized as extremely high risk as they are typically fundamental in nature attempting to
further human understanding of complex natural systems. Therefore, it could be surmised
that risk management is irrelevant in this context; hence Bardsley’s findings in an academic
environment may not be relevant.
Philbin (2011) reports on a case study related to the Shock Physics Institute at
Imperial College London which undertakes Industry funded research. It was found that the
FMEA (failure modes and effects analysis) technique was deployed; however safety risk was
more mature than project risk compromising a risk register, which provided analysis of the
risks, details on their likely occurrence, severity, mitigation, action required, and owner.
The European Union under a number of Framework programs supplements national
funding of R&D research programs. Most recently the Horizon 2020 programs aims to spend
€70 billion over a number of thematic areas in a bid to increase jobs and employment in the
European Union. Interestingly despite the limited information on Risk Management in IACs
Baptia et al. (2015) explored this knowledge area pertaining to EU funded IACs and
identified a number of risk mitigation protocols that were deployed in these collaborations
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They claim this methodology was based on rules delimited by the European Commission in
respect to the functioning of the co-promotion projects that were founding by the old
investment Framework Programme FP7. The primary risk identified was ownership of
background IP prior to the projects and the IP generated during the execution of the project.
This risk was mitigated through the use of an IP registered (patents, know-how, protocols
etc.). Other risk mitigation protocols they identified were:
The definition of team cooperation software platforms to be adopted.
Monitoring the work, including technical results and deliverable preparation
Monitoring the use of resources according to the technical activities by task leaders
against technical milestones
Defining the outputs and project objectives
Coordinating internal review of project’s outputs
addressing and verifying the coordination between related WPs
Verifying the respect of deadlines, technical objectives and technical critical issues
Providing organization of physical and virtual meetings with regular deadlines, in
accordance with the project plan, to assess the degree of completion of project
objectives.
Whether these can be defined as novel risk mitigation strategies developed for IACs or
simply elements of recommended PMBOK project management practices is open to debate.
5.4 Theme 3: Critical to Success Factors and Risks associated with of Industry
Funded Academic Research Centres
Uncertainty, and hence risk, in IAC joint research projects has been proposed to be higher
than in intra and inter company research and development partnerships due to the fact that
they are typically characterized by more ambitious research targets. IACs are usually
concerned with R&D on the technological frontier, on new technological fields and aimed at
radical breakthrough innovation (Nakamura et al. 2003; Mora-Valentin et al. 2004). As a
consequence, participants in these agreements may have to deal with a higher rate of
unpredictability and the realisation that research outcomes may differ from those expected or
predicted. Nevertheless, historically Industry also engages with academia to outsource
research, in part, to reduce the “moral hazard” associated with intra firm RD partnerships. It
has been suggested that IACs are usually less exposed to opportunistic behaviour, as the
academic partnership, at least in the short to medium term, is unlikely to become a
competitor as typically they lack the infrastructure, competences and expertise to
commercialize technology and compete in commercial markets (Bercovitz and Feldman
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2007). Nevertheless, with the trend towards on-campus spin-in and spin-out companies
becoming more prevalent this threat of IP “leakage” is nevertheless growing. Lee (2000) has
suggested that the risk of industrial secrets transfer from the academic partner to future or
current collaborators is prevented by confidentiality agreements (CDAs), however, these are
less formal and depending on the jurisdiction in which they are applied, may not be not
legally binding. Many are regarded as precursor to more formal and legally binding licensing
agreements which can take a considerable period of time to agree terms and conditions,
,thus leaving scope for illicit IP disclosure which remains a significant business risk for the
Industry partner. IP ownership transfer and leakage is even more complication as the entities
being researched, as the subject of this proposal, can be multi collaborative ventures and
not simple two way IAC relationships. They are essentially defined as consortium of
companies pooling resources to investigate intransigent research problems that they cannot
address in isolation. Risks pertaining to IP are expected to be even greater in the
environment. Hence the management of IP and associated risk in the environment will be of
significant interest.
Interestingly, in relation to the management of IAC projects, Morandi (2011) suggests
that it is unusual for a single Project Manager to be assigned to manage the IAC with the
usual role of a PM including persuasion, negotiation and exchange of information delegated
to a form of central authority. Morandi (2011) also suggests the absence of a project
manager can also be explained by the fact that, generally, no organization is likely to give a
manager of another organization the authority over its own systems. Nevertheless, research
suggests that liaison roles are the preferred method of linkage with industry liaison
managers forging the link with the Industry designate. This may imply projects are managed
separately by the consortium partners which has the potential for conflict, distrust with an
associated increase in suspicion amongst the partners and, hence, increased project risk.
In Section 4 (introduction) the mutually beneficial reasons why Industry and academia
collaborate on research and development projects were highlighted; however it has been
suggested that choosing the right partner is fundamental to the success of the collaboration
for a number of reasons. Interestingly a new paradigm for IACs is being demonstrated in the
pharmaceutical industry where small biotechnology firms, with close links to academia
through academic founders or as spinout university companies, are acting as intermediaries
or brokers in the development and extraction of intellectual property. These companies have
been demonstrated to be far more likely to enter formal alliances with universities. The
output from these projects are ultimately transferred to larger pharmaceutical companies for
commercialisation through licensing agreements or acquisitions; thus, removing the risk
associated with direct collaborations in a field in which they have limited experience i.e.
contract research with academic institutions (Stuart et al 2007).
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Geisler et al. (1990) have identified critical success factors (CSFs) for
industry/university cooperative research centres. They identified five groups of factors that
can play a part in the development of centres: relationship with the university, relationship
with industry, internal management, research and technology strategies, and the individual
attributes of the principal investigators and managers. This is in part supported by Kleyn et
al. (2007) who elucidated certain critical factors that contribute to successful university-
industry partnerships in the life sciences sector, including leadership, organisational
structure and operational management. Other studies have focused on the company and its
ability to extract knowledge arising from the partnership (Barbolla & Corredera, 2009) as well
as the technological competencies the company must possess to successfully engage in
knowledge transfer at conclusion of the project (Santoro & Bierly, 2006).
Speier and Palmer (1998) on a case study at the University of Oklahoma found that
there is a need for an appropriate balance between pursuing problem-driven commercially
driven research that is relevant to Industry against intellectually rigorous research that can
be published by academia; thus, creating a potential source of conflict and risk.
Nevertheless, competition among academic institutions for private funding can be intense
(Wimsatt et al., 2009), and the success rate for proposals submitted to Industry is often low
which may suggest the balance of power resides with Industry in terms of project and risk
management.
Additional IAC success factors were discovered by Mora-Valentin et al. (2004) who
identified 2 categories which she divided first into contextual factors, basic for the
establishment of the relationship, which include previous links, reputation of the RPO, a clear
definition of project objectives and geographic proximity between the two partners. Secondly,
the organizational factors proven to contribute to successful IACs were commitment,
communication, trust, conflict resolution and dependence between the partners. While not
specifically addressing risk management, Nielsen et al. (2013), through a qualitative
longitudinal study, confirmed good project management methodologies when applied
appeared to increase the success of IACs particularly in the area of resource utilisation.
Nevertheless, a cultural difference was observed which creates a potential risk to the
collaboration; corporate research managers have a tendency to control the collaboration
viewing it as an industry controlled enterprise; therefore creating a potential source of conflict
and tension amongst the partners. The correlation of project management methodologies
and the success of IACs is further supported by Chin et al. (2011) who adopted PMBOK
methodologies and implemented certain aspects to IACs, presumably to introduce a project
management framework without the excessive bureaucracy that would be required to
implement a complete PMBOK methodology. Most notably, this project management model
focuses on Initiating the development of a project, proposal planning (using typical
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techniques such as work breakdown structures and executing and controlling). Interesting
they suggest the use of a change control system which is usual in an academic research
environment. Again, however, no reference was made to the use of risk management as an
element of a tailored approach to IAC project management.
Other factors common to IAC success have been suggested by Fontana et al. (2006)
Their research confirmed that the propensity for Industry to undertake an R&D project with
an academic partner depends on the ‘absolute size’ of the industrial partner. Larger firms are
much more likely to collaborate, particularly if these organizations are R&D intensive.
Conversely, firms with small absorptive capacities had lower probabilities of interaction as
they typically do not have the ability to translate research into technology commercialization.
The same authors suggest an SME IAC involves three stages: searching, screening and
signalling. Signalling involves determining available knowledge in the literature pertaining to
the proposed partner. Screening identifies a suitable research providing organisation (RPO)
and then signalling involves reaching out to the RPO to co-develop a proposal. These
activities when conducted by a company state a commitment to using an RPO to enhance
their R&D agenda and; hence is more likely to result in a successful project outcome.
However, if the RPO is affiliated to an older university this has been shown to negatively
influence the support for the objectives of IAC. The perception is that conversely the
university encourages cooperation does not support for the objectives of the IAC (Azagra-
Caro et al., 2006). Furthermore, Bruneel et al. (2010) suggest barriers to IAC stem from the
orientation of the university and its researchers, to attitudes and behaviour of university
administration and the technical Transfer office (TTO) the latter entity having grown
significantly in the last 30 years and has a significant influence of the monetization of
research and intellectual property (Henderson et al., 1998; Mowery and Ziedonis, 2002).
Although the typical barrier to IACs – the university’s long term orientation in terms of the
nature and type of research being conducted – remains substantial, other factors were
determined to impede collaboration, especially transactional barriers, for example, those
again related to IP and administrative procedures which are time consuming and require
significant legal input from both prospective partners. For some in the academic community
this focus on research commercialization is in conflict with the purpose of research to
increase human knowledge and they reject the imposition of private neoliberal
commercialisation philosophies (Nelson, 2004). An important finding from Brunel’s study is
that inter-organizational trust is one of the strongest mechanisms for lowering the barriers to
interaction between universities and industry; however this researcher does not elaborate on
how trust is developed; although it is suggested that prior experience of collaborative
research helped to address this problem, and that experience collaborating between the two
entities enables lessons learned to be used in future projects; thus addressing barriers to
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collaboration that existed in initial projects. A number of researchers support this assertion
that experience is critical to the success of IAC. This belief is support in the literature by Hall
et al., (2003); Hertzfeld et al., (2006) and Bishop et al., (2009) who have used the terms
infrequent, intermittent and recurrent partners to describe the frequency of collaboration of
companies with universities, Recurrent partnerships have been demonstrated, to more
effectively capitalize on their collaboration by transferring the information and knowledge
gained through their involvement in previous projects and partnerships. Recurrent
collaborators are also are more likely to put in place the necessary systems and procedures
to reconcile conflicting views on research targets deliverables (Gomes et al., 2005),
dissemination of results (Hall et al., 2003), and timing of deliverables (Van Dierdonck and
Debackere, 1988). These efforts should help to lower the barriers related to research
collaboration by reconciling attitudinal differences between partners which could be expected
to mitigate against project risk.
However, in contrast, Nielsen (2013) discovered that recurrent partnerships
have also been proposed to cause problems as Industry partners tend to select and continue
to collaborate with highly successful researchers rather than selecting from a wider research
ecosystem within the university or wider infrastructure. In this instance key researchers can
become overworked yet external pressures from the university to continue to enhance the
project pipeline to sustain their organization, particularly in times of budget cuts from the
public sector. This conflict can occur even in mature collaborative relationships creating
further sources of project risk. Technical transfer offices (TTO) and their role in IACs has
also been investigated by Uchihira et al, (2012) who have identified the inability of partner
companies to extract, translate and commercialise outputs of R&D projects as a significant
risk to the collaboration. Many universities have now established TTOs to enhance the IAC
experience and provide necessary support for partnering companies in this regard. Other
researchers most notably (Bercovitz and Feldman, 2007) discovered that the R&D maturity
of a company is a factor when deciding to form an alliance with a university partner. Typically
these projects are more heavily weighted towards exploratory early stage research and that
these companies develop a deeper more multifaceted relationship with their university
partner and spend a greater share of their R&D budget on this type of research strategy. In
contrast to other private sector partners, the researchers discovered evidence suggesting
that universities are preferred when the company perceives potential conflicts over
intellectual property.
(Nomaguchi and Takahashi, 2015) discovered that conflicts of interest can exist been
partners in an IAC, such as inter alia the requirement to publish the research results in the
public domain by the university or to commercialise the outputs by the company which may
have conflicting requirements in terms of IP protection. To alleviate these possible tensions
