An industry-academia model for research

Abstract

This study presents a simple projectized organization used in the Research Center on Microsystems and Biodesign at Tecnologico de Monterrey. The proposed work model aims to increase the interaction between undergraduate and postgraduate students in a project-management based industrial model applied to research. The main purpose of this study is to demonstrate how this organizational structure helps to increase innovation, speed-up research, and increase the students' skills. The roles assigned to students and advisors in multidisciplinary groups create a synergic interaction among members that allows for an interruption-free working environment. The strengths of this model and the methodology to implement it are presented. The model adds value to the curricula and helps to comply with the metrics established by national and international accreditation institutions. Knowledge transfer is an important aspect in the development of projects because of the high turnover rate in academia during the development of global products. Therefore, it is important to avoid repetitive tasks to save time. The implementation of this model has provided the development of functional prototypes, the graduation of participating students with project management experience, and a global increase in scientific production.