University-Industry Linkages in Thailand: Successes, Failures, and Lessons Learned for Other Developing Countries

Universities are a critical actor in innovation systems of both developed and developing countries. In the context of developing countries, universities can play an important role as an indigenous knowledge source. Fruitful university-industry linkages (UILs) help local firms to import, modify, and diffuse technology. At the same time, universities can improve their academic capabilities if they interact with the private sector. However, appropriate explanations of UILs in developing countries are still lacking. It is the aim of this paper to identify successes and failures of UILs in Thailand by combining data from company and university surveys. In general, UILs in Thailand are still weak. But determinants for successful projects have been identified which offer the potential to serve as guidelines to improve UILs in the future. The findings of the paper contribute to the debate on the extended role of universities in developing countries for technological change and economic development.