Re: Academic/commercial collaboration

While I would also like to see Academic outputs that fit more directly
(swiftly) into my commercial needs, experience tells me not to meddle too
much with research. The risk of academics 'going native' is too great, and
we would lose what they are good at - real research! How many commercial
companies contribute to the knowledge base ? (the reverse of Nick's
criticism).
There are hordes of research programmes and specific research projects that
combine academic and commercial partners, but still they each do what they
do best (in the main). The academics tend to grow the knowledge base (what
is generally true and applicable) while the commercial developers want to
answer todays question only (the 'profitable' approach - not science, or
even engineeering in many cases, more the mechanics of the moment).
I agree we should get them together, and we do in very large numbers, but
they are still oil and water in the main, and I for one am glad of that. I
may have to do a little more work to adapt academic knowledge/results to my
needs, but at least I can. I cannot access the knowledge of other companies
(for obvious reasons).

Frank Wilson
Interaction Design Ltd

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