Working partnerships: higher education, industry and innovation: government incentivisation of higher education-industry research partnerships in South Africa: an audit of THRIP and the Innovation Fund

Abstract

This research report is part of a series that aims to explore the ways in which higher education and industry have formed research partnerships to promote innovation in biotechnology, ICT and new materials development in response to global trends and national policy imperatives. The series examines these partnerships in relation to knowledge production, enterprise productivity and innovation, and considers the extent to which network practices operate in South Africa. The Research Programme on Human Resource Development at the HSRC authored the report. This Programme provides state-of-the-art information on human resource development and aims to inform the development of skills that will meet national social and economic needs. In addition to producing a biennial HRD Directory and an internet-accessible, cross-sectoral data warehouse, the Research Programme undertakes user-driven research focusing on further and higher education and training, and on science, technology and education, with a strong emphasis on learning pathways - especially the transition between different levels of education and training, and between education and work. In addition to clarification of the research methodology used and numerous useful appendices, graphs and tables, the report is divided into the following sections:

- Introduction and Background to THRIP and the Innovation Fund - Higher Education-Industry Partnerships - About Government-funded Projects - The Contribution of Government-Incentivised Partnership Projects