Conceptualising Technology Exchange as a Critical Gap for Higher Education and Industry Collaborations in Ghana

Purpose: This study is designed to develop a model for higher education institutions and industrial firms for effective collaborations. It will identify and evaluate technology exchange determinants upon which a model will be developed. Effective collaborations between higher education and industry will improve product development between them maximize the technical capacity of the two partners, as well as improve interaction. Research Design: The survey research questionnaire was used, of which data were collected in the form of field research by distributing self-administered questionnaires.The data were gathered from two technical universities; Kumasi and Accra technical universities, including 20 public and 20 private manufacturing firms within these two metropolises. The respondents were solely from the manufacturing engineering background. A sample of 400 was selected from both higher education and industry in equal proportions. The data collected were entered into SPSS and analysed. Findings: The study reveals that the commercialisation of technology output to the industry by higher education institutions is much more important in strengthening and improving collaborations. Joint new product development between university and industry will surely enhance interaction and maximise the technical skills of the two partners. Research Limitation: The study focused on forty (40) manufacturing firms of two metropolises and two technical universities out of the ten (10) technical universities in Ghana. These are the communities where there is a cluster of firms. Also, these are areas where much of the university-industry collaborations are entered into. Practical Implication: The findings of this study will equip higher education institutions as well as manufacturing firms with the factors that significantly strengthen collaborations between the two partners. Social Implication: The knowledge advanced by this study will help higher education institutions and manufacturing firms to review their policies regarding collaborations with each other. These collaborations are inclined towards building indigenous capacity and improving productivity in the manufacturing industry. Originality: This study proposed a conceptual description of technology exchange (TE) which is viewed as a bidirectional (two-way flow) approach to technology acquisition. The novelty of this study centres on the new model built for higher education and industry for effective collaborations. This manifests the fact that technology should be based on two-way (bidirectional) flow in every higher education and industry collaboration as this is necessary for the capacity maximisation of both partners. Technology transfer should no longer be a one-way flow (unidirectional) as it is now.