The R&D Interfaces Programme aims to advance understanding of the emerging practices, policies and professional roles associated with translating university R&D into an industrial context. The Programme also provides a forum for disseminating lessons learned and effective practices to a broad range of stakeholders from academia, industry and government.

The R&D Interfaces Programme addresses the challenges and opportunities associated with the increasingly blurred interfaces between the R&D activities of industry and academia. In particular, the Programme examines evolving practices, policies and professional roles designed to address current trends and drivers:

• Decreasing internal long term, high risk “basic” industrial research 
• Increasing external collaboration (with supply chain partners and other companies, universities and other public stakeholders) 
• Enhanced global competitiveness for R&D skills and infrastructure and increasingly global R&D investment and collaboration 
• Accelerating levels of technological complexity and scientific knowledge