University / Food Industry Partnerships for Human Resource Development and Technology Transfer
By Roy G. ArnoldABSTRACT
Two significant trends in land grant universities in recent years are renewed emphasis on outreach functions, and development of formal partnership relationships. Excellent examples of new university / industry partnerships have developed in several states. Some involve formal partnering agreements in areas of education and research that define mutual expectations and both shared and individual roles and responsibilities among all parties involved in the partnership. One partnership type is the formal research cooperative, in which a consortium of industry sponsors provides funding for research that is conducted by university scientists under the joint oversight by an industry advisory board and university administrators.
Another example is the food products and technology center, housed within a university, but with a mission to work with private firms and entrepreneurs on practical industry problems and new product opportunities. A variety of these types of centers have been developed at several U.S. land grant universities. The author will describe his personal experience in the development of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Food Processing Center and Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center in Portland, Oregon. Examples from other universities will also be described to illustrate the variety of forms and functions that have evolved for these university / industry interfaces. The university research park will also be described as a model for technology transfer.
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