University-software industry collaboration: an empirical study based on knowledge management

The current environment that characterises the software industry is extremely dynamic and somewhat complex demanding high-performance solutions, rapid development, and cost-efficiency. Given this scenario, industry is forced to search for new partners, with the university-industry collaboration representing a fundamental resource in promoting innovation and technological development. This study aims to obtain and analyse the perceptions and experiences of representatives of this industry and the university, in order to identify a set of factors that could enhance and/or be the source of a sustainable collaboration, based on knowledge management. In nutshell, the results show that motivations are associated with the immediate opportunities or needs of each of those directly involved in the collaboration take priority, without building a sustainable collaboration. This collaboration is generally conducted through informal communication channels, which makes it difficult to capture and disseminate knowledge to other members of each of the related organisations.