University-industry partnerships’ contribution to regional development

Globally, universities are encouraged to engage with industry to contribute to their country’s socioeconomic development. Policymakers promote and invest in university-industry partnerships (UIPs) in many national contexts to bridge theory and practice as well as to foster innovation and economic growth. In Kazakhstan, these partnerships have become a focal point of political discourse and policy interventions; however, little is known about how these partnerships contribute to the country’s regional development. A study examining the impact of university-industry partnerships on regional development is important and timely–not just for Kazakhstan but for the broader field–given the scarcity of such research in non-Western countries. Thus, this study examined the contribution of UIPs to regional development in Kazakhstan based on interviews with 99 purposively selected university representatives (from four public and four private universities) and their 35 industry partners. Using thematic analysis conducted in NVivo 14, we found that although the government has made substantial investments in UIPs (particularly, through its State Programmes of Industrial-Innovative Development) to solve national problems, these partnerships’ contribution to regional development remains limited to human capital development. Knowledge co-creation, commercialisation, innovation, technology transfer, and tackling socio-economic challenges remain cursory activities. The study suggests that a more sustainable and mutually beneficial approach to developing partnerships can be achieved by improving universities’ research and entrepreneurial capacities. However, formalism and organisational bureaucracy within higher education institutions, governmental systems, and industries must be overcome. These results have important implications for universities, industries, and governments.