Engineering and Enterprise by Rao Bhamidimarri & Ailin Liu

Author:Rao Bhamidimarri & Ailin Liu
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Cham

4 Discussions

The EngD scheme provides a unique model of employer engagement in doctoral research training. The impacts and benefits of the scheme has been recognised over the years. The key findings of the pilot study, “Understanding the EngD impact—a Pilot study”, which is summarised in this chapter, demonstrate the impacts from direct interactions and people mobility.

For industry partners, different forms of collaborative R&D relationships through the EngD projects and the programmes lead to both tangible (e.g. publications, patents, new technologies, products) and intangible (e.g. enhanced technological knowledge, enhanced skills and knowledge of existing employees within an organization, strategic relationship with other sponsoring firms, research networks, sector-wide policies and strategies) forms of impacts. It is important to position the EngD/IDC scheme and any other collaborative doctoral programme as part of the broader spectrum of the R&D eco-system, and to understand the reason why the industry partners choose to participate in the specific programme above all other collaborative R&D channels. From the industry’s point of view, the collaborative R&D of the EngD scheme is characterised by access to academic research and interactive opportunities, combined with a variety of forms of engagement including the use of facilities at the universities, opportunities to consult senior academics, and access to wider research networks as part of the EngD/IDC programme.

The evidence seems to suggest relatively higher impact of EngD graduates in terms of career development and progression (e.g. management career; higher salary; professional qualification) than other PhD graduates. Career development and pathways of the former REs are diverse where different forms of EngD impacts are embedded, including technology and product development, continuing collaboration with the universities, and networks across the industry partners. For example, there are a few cases reported in the IDC mid-term review (2011) where former REs acting as industry supervisors for EngD projects, continuing direct interactions between the Centres and industry partners. In particular, the EngD programmes have provided unique employer engagement opportunities in research training for those who already had a number of years of industry career before the doctoral training. A recent study on manufacturing research argues that EngD doctoral researchers work at the frontiers of ‘innovation, substantial and varied industry problem-solving experiences, and insights into future challenges (and opportunities)’, and the scheme contributes to training and developing ‘the next generation of science and technology leaders’ (O’Sullivan 2011).

Doctoral students may help industry in reducing uncertainties in innovative activities and raising ‘absorptive capacity’ by acquiring, assimilating, transforming and exploiting external knowledge (Zahra and George 2002). This provides the key challenge in measuring and evidencing the impact of the scheme over the years. The methodology adopted in this pilot study has a number of limitations and the findings need further verification. Interviews were limited in terms of scope and representation. Existing data on the career destinations and progression of collaborative doctoral graduates is limited. We need to better understand the dynamic processes of technology and skills development through a variety of forms of employer engagement in research training (see CBI 2010) and diversity of career development (see Viatae 2012).

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