Sponsored, contract and collaborative research: towards a model of science-industry knowledge transfer

Using the knowledge-based view of the firm, this paper contributes to improving our understanding of science-industry interaction. Based on research in the Swiss biotech sector, it provides a categorisation of three forms of interaction – sponsored, contract and collaborative research. Taking the process of knowledge transfer, interaction context, and knowledge context into account, the results indicate that these forms of interaction involve distinct ways of organising science?industry knowledge transfer. Arguing that the management of these interactions involves finding a delicate balance between structure and freedom, we suggest that the optimal managerial approach is contingent upon the form of interaction.