Motivations for University-Industry Interaction: A Typology of Academic Scientists at the National University of Colombia

In recent decades there has been an intensification of reflections on university-industry interaction as a mechanism for promoting innovation in countries, especially those characterized by a fragile collaboration between science and technology organizations and the productive apparatus. This article examines Colombian academic scientists who collaborate with industry, understanding their motivations and the interaction channels they use. To do this, a qualitative-type research study was conducted through semi-structured interviews with fifteen scientists and three employees involved in technology transfer programs at the National University of Colombia. As a result, we identified heterogeneous positions regarding the university-industry interaction and proposed four groups: i) “Circumstantial collaborators,” who have sporadic contact with industry; ii) “Independent,” who develop their own initiatives through spin-offs with sporadic contacts with industry; iii) “Integrated,” who see industry as a strategic partner and do not wish to undertake entrepreneurship; and iv) “Academic entrepreneurs,” who create spin-offs and see industry as a strategic partner. The main contribution of this work is the typology of academic scientists in the context of a Latin American country, which has implications for technology transfer offices in universities, with a recommendation towards creating typology-based programs, since the incentives that work for one type of scientist may not be the right fit for others.