Vanderbilt University is bringing the world's most pressing conversations about innovation and collaboration to the global stage. At the recent Times Higher Education (THE) World Academic Summit in Manchester, UK, Vanderbilt's leaders stood alongside industry giants and government experts to explore how universities can drive transformative solutions. "With the world's challenges becoming more complex, interconnected and urgent, universities must now also reach beyond their walls to serve as connectors of innovative talent," Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said. "And at Vanderbilt, our commitment to innovation is uniquely shaped by one of our core values-radical collaboration."
At the summit, Vanderbilt's leadership in global innovation was highlighted through a dynamic panel discussion titled "Fostering an Innovation Ecosystem: How Academia, Corporations and Government Work Together To Drive Change and Discovery." Industry experts Florian Lennert, founder of Disrupting Mobility, Kate Wittels, partner at HR&A Advisors, and Lindsay Porter, vice president of enterprise alliances and chief of staff at Bridgestone Americas, joined Vanderbilt leaders to discuss how cross-sector partnerships can solve critical challenges facing cities and communities worldwide.
The session was a showcase of how Vanderbilt's collaboration accelerator model connects researchers, innovators and practitioners from institutions to explore opportunities for collaboration, from talent development to cutting-edge research.
A shared vision charts path to fruitful corporate partnerships
The session featured a panel discussion about collaborations between academia and corporate organizations and brought together industry partners and leaders from Vanderbilt, including Diermeier, Chair and Professor of Computer Science Jonathan Sprinkle, Executive Director for Industry Collaborations Christopher Rowe and Associate Vice Chancellor of Strategy and Operations Sally Parker.
One of the key takeaways from the panel was the idea that when universities collaborate with industry, they have a greater ability to connect their research with partners that can provide real world implementation.
For example, Porter discussed the accelerator program that Bridgestone has with Vanderbilt. She highlighted the need for Bridgestone to expose employees to new ideas and the benefits of learning how to validate new hypotheses on autonomous driving from Vanderbilt researchers.
Through partnerships like the one with Bridgestone, Vanderbilt helps global industry leaders access cutting-edge research. These collaborations allow for the real-world application of ideas like autonomous driving technology, making sure that academic insights translate into industry breakthroughs.
However, there's also a risk of mismatched objectives and an overabundance of theoretical ideas that don't find routes to market. The panel discussed the importance of flexibility, building trust, and having cast-iron key performance indicators that both sides agree to work toward.
"Working closely with a corporate partner means having deliverables beyond just papers showing that something really works," Sprinkle said. "That means having more check-ins or check-ins with different people in such a way that you know that we're moving in the direction that we both want to go. We both have an end goal in sight."
The role of leadership was identified as being key for fruitful collaboration. Not only should leaders be responsible for setting priorities and allocating resources, they also should be vocal in ensuring that collaborations create real value, the panel said.
"From Vanderbilt's perspective, we know for certain that our future is inextricably linked to that of Nashville," Parker said. "Under the chancellor's leadership, we've been leaning in more and thinking about ways that we can collaborate to drive a positive impact in our city."
Academia a key catalyst to creating livable cities
Lennert, founder of Disrupting Mobility, shared examples of collaborative projects in Berlin, including the redevelopment of a brownfield into a living lab for mobility and energy innovation. Other case studies involved Boston, Austin and New York.
A common theme across the case studies was the importance of projects that touch entire communities and drive engagement, as well as the responsibility of universities to use their expertise and resources to bolster public services. Again, committed leadership and clear roles and responsibilities are paramount.
Strong relationships prompt brightest sparks of innovation
During Diermeier's participation in the World Academic Summit's leadership reflection panel, the discussion focused on the role of innovation districts in fostering collaboration between universities and industry. The most progress is made when the smartest people are encouraged to come together and share ideas freely. For that to happen, cities need to be attractive to innovative or entrepreneurial people. The bedrock of a talent destination is a great university and a business-friendly environment that celebrates and facilitates innovation.
Vanderbilt's leadership in the Nashville Innovation Alliance underscores the university's commitment to driving innovation within its own city. The alliance brings together universities, startups and industry to advance technology and entrepreneurship, positioning Nashville as a thriving innovation hub.
Government policy has a role to play in this regard, according to the panel. Transport policy should allow travel into and within districts, particularly important when they are able to connect major cities that can share and attract leading thinkers. The panel argued that universities should be accessible to new working relationships and partnerships that can generate new ideas.
"We have to think holistically about creating safe spaces where business, industry, and universities can come together without judgments, without any kind of expectation of what will happen at the end," said Jodie Eastwood, CEO of Knowledge Quarter. "Out of those spaces come conversations, and out of those conversations come friendships, and out of those friendships come collaborations."
Faye Bowser, vice president higher education vertical at Siemens' Smart Infrastructure, shared examples of successful public-private partnerships such as the Aspern Smart City Research project in Vienna. Some of the key components of bringing this project to life were a shared vision among partners, stability in navigating the regulatory hurdles of deploying new technology, and public consultations to hear what citizens expect from a city of the future.
Citizens should be at the forefront of how their city is used-a point agreed on by all panellists. There's a key role for technology, but its advancements should be balanced with sensitivity to job disruptions. Reflecting regional needs requires industry partners, startups and a commitment to cocreation that's embedded from the outset.
Vanderbilt University's participation in THE's World Academic Summit is part of the university's aim to "bring Vanderbilt to the world, and the world to Vanderbilt," an effort to forge partnerships with universities and industry leaders to create learning opportunities and foster innovation. As Vanderbilt continues to push the boundaries of collaboration and innovation, the university is positioned to lead in the conversations that matter most. The institution will continue to build on this momentum and bring the transformative power of its work to new heights-locally, nationally and globally.
• Learn more about Vanderbilt's corporate partnerships.
