Industry Consortia: A Source for Education and Research

With the growth in research output of many countries and the increasing focus on use-oriented research, many academic institutions are actively seeking collaborations with industry. At the same time, companies have come together to set up consortia where they discuss technology challenges relevant to their business goals and simultaneously try to encourage and support related education and outreach activities. This helps both the students and other academics as well as industry. The students and the faculty members are able to learn about the industry?s view and the technological challenges faced by it. It is not always possible for people from academia to get involved in faceto-face discussions with people in industry. Education and outreach activities by industry provides them this chance. At the same time, industry gets to have a voice, even if indirect, in the training and the learning process of students. This way, industry hopes to contribute to a bettertrained student population that will join the workforce in the future.