Commentary: Industry collaboration: A call for 'industry literacy' - a commentary on Bourgaize et al. (2025).

Abstract

In response to the article by Bourgaize et al. (Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 2025) on academic collaborations with technology companies, we argue that we need to move beyond guidance for individual researchers; instead, there is an urgent need to develop a research infrastructure, to manage the risks of collaborating with corporations whose profits rely on the very products under investigation. Institutional transparency is essential as well as consideration of the wider ecosystem regarding conflicts of interest. Much can be learned from historical examples of 'corporate playbook' techniques, such as the gambling and tobacco industries. Specialist ethical oversight is urgently needed, which considers broader questions around commercial influence, and minimum open science standards should be mandated by research institutions, in order to preserve public trust in science. An overarching national center of expertise is needed to develop guidance, together with legislation to enforce data sharing for independent research. Lastly, we suggest detailed questions should be asked about who may have the most to lose and the most to gain from a collaboration; academics should equip themselves not just with digital literacy, but also with 'industry literacy' to navigate this complex relationship.