Bridging the gap: deeper University–Industry (U-I) collaboration for supply chain innovation in New Zealand

As economies become increasingly knowledge-driven and global challenges demand more adaptive, innovative, and resilient systems and individuals, deep collaboration between universities and industry emerge as a strategic imperative. In New Zealand, where supply chains are lifelines for our geographically isolated economy, the stakes are high. Which may be why governments, funding bodies, and the public are calling for more visible and measurable impact - beyond publications and citations - from academic research. For those in the Business and Management disciplines, where digital transformation, artificial intelligence, sustainability, and resilience-building dominate the agenda, our response to this call is of particular importance.

This article reflects on the opportunities and challenges of university–industry (U–I) collaboration in New Zealand’s supply chain context. Drawing inspiration from our recent UK-based research on the topic,  we consider how universities and businesses might co-create value in ways that are practical, sustainable, and impactful.

University–Industry Collaborations Matter

Economies, firms, and their supply chains are inherently dynamic, complex and interdependent, involving the coordination of multiple actors, technologies, and information flows across boundaries. Recently, this complexity has been amplified by global disruptions, trade wars, tariffs, labour shortages, and shifts in consumers’ expectations.

Academic institutions are also in transition, reflecting on their own future, but still playing a vital role in helping organisations navigate this evolving landscape and providing an evidence base for innovation. Research expertise in areas such as AI, automation, big data, blockchain, circular economy, and human-centricity offers critical insight into current and emerging issues. Moreover, universities create platforms for knowledge exchange, skills development, and long-term strategic planning - capabilities that are often under-developed in resource-constrained firms.

In return, industry partnerships offer academics important access to real-world problems, fostering relationships and insights that help shape and build relevance and pathways to impact. Co-designed applied projects (such as those in our suite of Professional Masters at AUT), industry placements, and translational research initiatives can drive innovation not only in firms, but within the academic institution itself. In the supply chain sector, where operational improvements can generate significant productivity and environmental gains, the mutual benefits of U–I collaboration are particularly compelling and must be further developed and nurtured.

A Prompt for Reflection

In an article published in The Journal of Technology Transfer, we offer a timely
contribution to this conversation. Based on a study of 13 U–I partnerships that
ran for two years across manufacturing and healthcare sectors in the UK, we
developed an impact assessment framework capturing both tangible and intangible outcomes. Our research underscored the importance of structured facilitation, before, during, and after the project, as well as openness, mutual trust, and the presence of key individuals who can transfer knowledge and technology across different domains.

Notably, we found that healthcare partnerships tended to yield higher perceived impact than manufacturing ones, suggesting that context matters, and impact is not merely a function of effort, but of alignment between needs, cultures, and incentives, as well as rate of adoption.

For us in New Zealand, this study serves as a useful prompt to reflect on how we currently define, facilitate, and measure the impact of U–I collaboration. Are we investing enough in the human and relational infrastructure needed to sustain these partnerships?

Opportunities and Challenges Ahead

In the NZ’s supply chain context, examples of collaborative innovation could include deployment of digital twins and industrial metaverse solutions in manufacturing, smart warehousing trials, traceability systems in agri-food exports, and sustainability analytics. Institutions such as MBIE-supported Centres of Research Excellence (CoREs) offer important platforms for engagement.

 Yet, challenges here remain. Collaboration is often fragmented and project-based, rather than embedded in long-term strategic partnerships. Industry engagement tends to concentrate in certain sectors, such as engineering and sciences, while supply chain and logistics, are often underrepresented. Many firms, particularly SMEs, lack the knowledge and technology transfer capacity to engage meaningfully in the long term with universities, and academic incentives are not always aligned with industry timeframes or priorities. While there is a growing rhetoric for collaboration, the gap between academic knowledge and operational practice is still too wide.

Future Directions and Call to Action

To build a more mature and impactful model of U–I collaboration in New Zealand’s supply chain sector, we need to invest in mechanisms that go beyond individual applied projects. Co-designed and co-created research programmes, where graduates, and researchers engage directly with firms on real-world problems and are supported by a funding body, offer one promising route. The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme, funded by Innovate UK, is a good example of this approach. Embedded research roles, including doctoral students or postdoctoral fellows stationed in industry, can also support mutual learning, trust-building and meaningful engagement.

Universities could benefit from establishing more dedicated translational roles, such as knowledge and technology advisors and impact managers, who can bridge disciplinary and organisational divides. At the same time, firms must be encouraged and supported, to build internal capabilities that allow them to absorb and apply external knowledge.

Critically, we need better ways of evaluating and communicating the impact of these collaborations. Our framework offers one useful model, but it should be adapted for New Zealand’s particular policy, cultural, and economic settings. Impact is not just about economic return; it includes capability, mindset, relationships, and long-term outcomes.

As a small, globally connected nation with a strong science base and a pragmatic business culture, New Zealand is well positioned to take the lead in pushing the U-I boundaries. But doing so will require more deliberate, resourced, and sustained efforts from universities, industry, and government alike.

U-I collaboration is not a panacea. Rather, it is a powerful mechanism for two-way innovation. The New Zealand context offers both challenges and opportunities, with ample room to mature. By investing in mutual understanding, facilitative structures, and impact-focused cultures, we can enhance the transformative potential of these collaborations, not only for firms and universities, but for the country’s broader economy and society.

Benjamin Dehe is Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management at AUT Business School, and an External Member of the Centre for Supply Chain Management at the University of Auckland Business School.

He can be contacted at benjamin.dehe@aut.ac.nz.