As a response, this publication aims to address some common misunderstandings about
university–enterprise cooperation, to offer an understanding of its concepts, and to offer
advice on how best to apply these.
It tries to explain how university-enterprise cooperation has evolved in the EU – not on a
political whim, but as a creative response from the world of learning to its changing role
and environment. It explains the principles of university-enterprise cooperation and offers
practical examples, both from the EU and from all the regions in which Tempus operates. It
also offers clear recommendations for authorities, universities and enterprises.
Most of all, it underlines the message that cooperation between the worlds of education
and work is no longer something that enterprising universities can pursue at leisure, simply
to gain an edge or fill a niche. It may actually be a matter of survival for universities and
companies in the world as it is today.