Digital Transformation of University-industry Collaborations: An Information Systems Approach in a Developing Country Context

University–industry collaborations (UICs) are increasingly recognized as essential for fostering innovation, skills development, and knowledge transfer. However, in developing countries, these collaborations are often constrained by weak governance structures, limited resources, and lack of sustainability mechanisms. This study aimed to explore the current state of UICs at Uganda Christian University (UCU) and industries in Mukono Municipality, and design an ICT-enabled model to strengthen UICs in developing countries. The study employed a qualitative approach, and data was collected from 21 participants through interviews with university (senior administrators, faculty heads) and representatives from the industry (service, manufacturing, research, and not-for-profit organizations). Insights from General Systems Theory, Collaborative Control Theory and Rybnicek & Königsgruber model, informed thematic analysis. From the analysis, five themes emerged, which are: Nature of Collaborations; Management Structures and Platforms for UICs; Stakeholder Capacity and Readiness for UICs; Information Exchange & Dissemination; Impact and Sustainability of UICs. The study findings revealed that UICs have weak governance & coordination mechanisms, lack sustainability & digital implementation, are largely informal, under-resourced. Internship was seen to be the dominant form of engagement between universities and the industry. This suggests that; adopting ICT-mechanisms improves UIC effectiveness and sustainability. This study therefore proposes a context-sensitive, systems-oriented JMS Model to enhance UIC management in developing countries which contributes to literature and practice.