Cultivating Research Universities and Industrial Linkages in China: The Case of Shanghai

SummaryEvidence in industrialized countries shows that universities can supply the crucial underpinnings of dynamic industrial clusters within metropolitan regions. A key component of China’s recent reforms in the national innovation system is the promotion of university-based research and technology transfer. The primary purpose of this paper is to examine the interactions between two elite universities in Shanghai (Fudan University and Shanghai Jiaotong University) and the metropolitan economy. In particular, it analyzes major institutional changes within the universities and policy changes at local and national levels that have allowed more business engagement. As the universities gain greater autonomy, they are adopting distinctive approaches to commercializing academic research and managing industrial linkages.