Formulating It Strategies Based on Research and Industry Income Causality in Times Higher Education Rankings

This study examines the temporal relationship between research performance and industry income in universities using Granger causality analysis. Leveraging longitudinal data from the Times Higher Education (THE) Ranking, it investigates whether research activities and industry income influence each other or develop independently. The results show that, for most universities, there is no significant causal link between the two, although a smaller portion exhibits unidirectional or bidirectional causality. Statistical tests reveal no significant differences in rankings or overall scores among these categories. Nevertheless, descriptive analysis indicates that universities with research-industry income (RI) causality generally achieve better average and median ranks, while those with bidirectional causality tend to earn the highest overall scores. Although these patterns are not statistically significant, they suggest potential advantages from aligning research efforts with industry engagement. Based on these insights, the study proposes IT strategies to support collaboration and data-driven coordination between research and industry. These strategies aim to improve operational efficiency, attract external funding, and enhance institutional partnerships. By identifying causality patterns and proposing actionable recommendations, the research contributes a novel temporal perspective to discussions on research-industry alignment in higher education.