Breaking the mould: Mobile VCE's approach to collaborative research

The role of collaborative partnership in research activities is generally accepted without question as positive, yet in practice such partnerships take a wide variety of forms. To treat all collaboration as if automatically good should be considered dangerous, in that it can lead to complacency, waste and ultimately poor results. In the field of mobile and personal communications, Mobile VCE has sought to take a fresh approach to collaborative research tailored specifically to the needs of an industry facing a period of unprecedented growth and fundamental change. While not offered as a formula appropriate to all industries, this paper outlines the benefits derived from the Mobile VCE approach to collaboration in comparison with other common mechanisms. Some fundamental questions regarding the purpose and objectives of collaboration are posed, and a number of established practices challenged.