There is significant international research indicating that university-industry collaboration (UIC) is a powerful source of innovation. For example, World Bank (2013) found that UIC is critical for skills development, generation, adoption of knowledge, and promoting entrepreneurship. Similarly, Nelson (2017) found that UIC is a critical for the development of knowledge economies and societies.

It is in this context that Universities New Zealand commissioned Deloitte Access Economics to prepare a paper on UIC. This paper defines UIC, explores the key benefits of UIC, and provides insights into how to improve UIC in New Zealand and how to measure the outcome of UIC.