UIDP 1-Minute Survey | Understanding Different Levels of Partnership
Terminology and nomenclature help define relationships. For this survey, we set out five different partnership levels, from the newest or most surface-level to the deepest, most advanced type. We asked respondents to provide the label or key word their organization would associate with the given level of engagement. For the purpose of these descriptions, “deal” refers to a research relationship between a company and a university that can be gift- or contract-based.
The survey and responses will form the basis for an update of UIDP’s Partnership Continuum publication. See all survey results.
At Level 1 and at Level 2, the most common term to describe the relationship was “collaboration.”
At Level 3, the term “Partner” overtakes collaboration as the most common term used and persists through Level 4.
At the highest level, the term “Strategic” overcomes all other terms, and is often coupled with other descriptive terms such as “partner” and “alliance.”
