This brief is about changing expectations on publicly-funded university researchers to contribute to socio-economic goals primarily through commercialisation, such as the creation of spin-out companies. Based on our research in the UK and Finland we argue that this kind of ’commercialisation’ is only one, often minor, aspect of how researchers and their research in reality engage in industry such that a more nuanced treatment of the wide variety of ’engagement’ approaches could lead to more effective science and research policies. This brief draws on different data sources, but mostly on the UNI project, funded by Tekes innovation research programme.
