'Business does not trust universities' [fr] [de]

For historical reasons, the science-business gap won't be bridged overnight. Political pressure and tax incentives are needed to push the business community to take an interest in working with universities, argues Professor Sylvain Kahn in an interview with EurActiv.com.

Asked whether universities should open up more to business community, Sylvain Kahn, History Professor at Sciences Po (Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris) agrees with the aim, but says that "the problem is that the business community is not interested in getting involved with universities". Business is eager to employ researchers educated by universities, but doesn't want to get financially involved with institutions, he adds. 

"There are historical and economic and even cultural and political reasons for this. But the point is that the business community does not trust universities, nor does it find them useful as they are often interested only in 'pure' research," explains Kahn.

However, he maintains that it is of utmost importance to increase university funding, in particular by bringing in private money, via, for example, foundations and other sponsoring activities encouraged by tax reductions. "We need a political call for business to get closer to universities and serious tax incentives for them to be able to sponsor higher education and research," he says.

To read the full interview with Sylvain Kahn, click here.