Bridging the institutional divide in university-industry relationships: the evolving role of industrial researchers

Abstract This paper aims to delve into the role of industrial researchers in University-Industry (UI) relationships, focusing on the managerial aspects of their work in bridging the institutional divide between the firm and its university partner. While research has devoted considerable effort to examining the academic end of these interactions, the role of industrial researchers–and how it evolves with the development of these inter-organisational relationships–remains considerably less understood. To address this gap, we examine a sample of UI relationships between a large pharmaceutical firm and UK universities. Our analysis builds on interview data gathered at both ends of these interactions–in particular, we interviewed 48 individuals among industrial researchers and academic scientists. Findings suggest that, as a UI relationship forms and develops, industrial researchers play a pivotal role in mitigating tensions arising from divergent institutional logics. Their role evolves substantially with the life cycle of the relationship, not only in the nature of their activities, but also in the specific tasks they undertake and the mechanisms that support them. In the setup stage, industrial researchers focus on anticipatory institutional work aimed at translating firm priorities into academic research problems to identify potential partners, as well as negotiating and formalising the partnership. As the relationship progresses, their bridging efforts shift toward managing the resulting research projects and fostering trust with academic partners.