Connecting with other non-academic stakeholders

For research organizations

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Connecting with other non-academic stakeholders

To create good quality activities dedicated to intersectoral mobility is necessary to engage with other sectors, special the private sector. Here we suggest some actions to engage with individuals, organizations and enterprises form other sectors.

Mapping your possible network
Alumni community engagement
Career tracking system

This page is a section of information for research organizations in the EURAXESS Researcher Careers Beyond Academia Hub toolkit. Go back to the homepage to browse through other information and resources.

Connecting with other non-academic stakeholders

Mapping your possible network

To connect with private sectors, it is crucial to map what bridges your organization has or can tend with this sector. These are the possible departments, offices, or networks that we recommend exploring within your environment:

Technology transfer or intellectual property right offices

These offices within a research organization are responsible for encouraging, facilitating, advising, and assisting researchers within organizations in exploiting their research results into commercial products. Because of their liaison nature between academic research and industry, they have connections with industry that could be useful when implementing activities for researchers.

Areas of innovation and technology and research parks

These places and organizations are designed to enhance the innovative activity of a specific area. They are also in charge of fuelling knowledge transfer between academic institutions and companies. They foster innovative-based companies and support spin-off processes. They many times support or allocate incubators and accelerators. They create innovation ecosystems, including the primary agents of business, government, academic research organizations, and society. Check for areas of innovation in your region here.

Sectoral associations or networks

It is worth engaging with a local or regional subsection of these networks to signpost your activities and recruit companies or individuals for your activities.

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Connecting with other non-academic stakeholders

Alumni community engagement

Due to the functioning of the academic research system, many of your alum PhD holders develop a career outside academia. Connecting with them and nurturing the community through a common theme will be a valuable tool for connecting with other sectors.

A helpful approach to creating an alumni community is to use social media. Partners of EURAXESS Research Beyond Academia Hub has created an online alumni community (Researchers Beyond Academia by EURAXESS -A journey towards research careers outside universities-)dedicated to alumni researchers who are considering their career progress outside academic research institutions. The platform wants to foster the exchange of best practices and experiences for researchers who have or would like to explore career paths outside academia. A guide has been created to help your research organization implementing this action.

Toolkit

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Connecting with other non-academic stakeholders

Career tracking systems

You could follow up on your alumni researcher’s career pathways as a research organization. Not only will it facilitate mapping your intersectoral collaboration opportunities, but it also will allow your organization to design targeted career development programmes. In longitudinal studies, these tracking systems can be used for impact and accountability.

If you want to learn more about career tracking systems, check out this report from the European University Association: Tracking the PhD holders

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