Industry Collaboration with Large Research Infrastructures: What factors influence knowledge benefits for companies?

Abstract

Firms' collaboration with large research infrastructure through procurement activities during the construction phase of a large-scale scientific experiment, has been previously shown to enhance suppliers' performance. The present work assesses the industry collaboration with CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, for the international study on a future particle accelerator for high energy physics, the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC study). The paper sheds light on the collaboration during the development phase of the CLIC study, while the previous literature has considered collaboration benefits during intensive procurement event – a construction phase of an approved project. In the development phase companies can participate in research, development, and improvement, as well as playing a consulting role for emerging technologies application. Therefore, the aim of the manuscript is to investigate outcomes for suppliers as knowledge benefits from the early-stage collaboration with the CLIC study. The conceptual framework is built on the exclusive dataset using the survey data from 71 industrial partners of the CLIC study. The results confirm positive aspects of early-stage collaboration and shows the roles of main influencing factors by involving multiple regression model.