The strategy outlined focuses on integrating university capabilities with the defence sector to foster innovation and collaboration. One key aspect is establishing collaborative partnerships. By identifying key defence organisations and industry partners, universities can create formal engagement plans and meet regularly to align mutual goals. For example, organising joint workshops and seminars facilitates the sharing of research findings while promoting co-authorship of publications enhances credibility and knowledge exchange.
Another important focus is enhancing university capabilities for defence needs. This involves conducting skills audits to tailor training programs and recruiting faculty with industry expertise. By forming interdisciplinary research teams and hosting conferences on defence topics, universities can align with defensive industry demands, offering internships and placements for practical exposure.
Additionally, the strategy emphasizes the commercialisation and translation of research. Universities can identify projects with defence applications and collaborate with technology transfer offices to safeguard intellectual property. A dedicated team can focus on transforming research into market-ready solutions, supported by government programs. Engaging in trade shows and setting up mentorship programs further bridges academia with industry veterans for real-world impact.
The strategies
⛳️ Strategy 1: Establish Collaborative Partnerships
- Identify key industry partners and defence organisations to approach
- Create a formal engagement plan with identified partners
- Organise regular meetings with stakeholders to discuss mutual goals
- Develop joint project initiatives with clear objectives and outcomes
- Set up joint workshops and seminars to share research findings
- Assign dedicated account managers to key partnerships
- Facilitate shared use of facilities and resources with partners
- Develop a framework for continuous feedback and improvement
- Promote co-authorship of academic and industry publications
- Arrange site visits to both university and partner facilities
⛳️ Strategy 2: Enhance University Capabilities for Defence Needs
- Conduct a skills and capabilities audit focused on defence needs
- Create specialised training programs tailored to industry requirements
- Recruit faculty with industry and defence expertise
- Develop interdisciplinary research teams focused on defence challenges
- Set up internships and placement opportunities within defence industry
- Host conferences and forums on defence-related topics
- Implement a dedicated funding stream for defence-related research
- Promote university capabilities through targeted marketing campaigns
- Make use of defence-specific accreditations and standards
- Develop case studies showcasing successful university-defence collaborations
⛳️ Strategy 3: Commercialise and Translate Research into Defence Applications
- Identify research projects with potential defence applications
- Collaborate with technology transfer offices to protect IP
- Create a portfolio of research projects with defence applicability
- Establish a dedicated commercialisation team with defence focus
- Develop a roadmap for translating academic research into market-ready solutions
- Engage with government support programs for defence innovation
- Participate in defence industry tradeshows and expos
- Set up a mentorship program pairing researchers with industry veterans
- Develop a licensing and spin-off framework for defence technology
- Monitor and evaluate the impact of commercialised projects in defence
Bringing accountability to your strategy
It's one thing to have a plan, it's another to stick to it. We hope that the examples above will help you get started with your own strategy, but we also know that it's easy to get lost in the day-to-day effort.
That's why we built Tability: to help you track your progress, keep your team aligned, and make sure you're always moving in the right direction.
Give it a try and see how it can help you bring accountability to your strategy.
