Strategic research partnerships and economic performance: empirical issues

A rapid rise in the incidence of strategic research partnerships (SRPs) involving firms, universities, non-profit organizations, and public agencies has stimulated an important public policy debate regarding whether these relationships enhance economic performance. In this paper, we present a taxonomy of SRPs and assess empirical studies of their effectiveness. We also identify data limitations that can preclude an accurate evaluation of the private and social returns to SRPs. We provide numerous suggestions for the collection and processing of additional data that would greatly improve our understanding of how these partnerships affect economic performance at the firm, industry, and aggregate levels.