Articles

Analysis of Performance-Improving Factors of International R&D Collaborations Conducted by Universities in South Korea

Sang Hyon Lee, Hayoung Cho, Daeryeok Lee

Abstract

Hence the recent global R&D trend towards large-scale, interdisciplinary co-work and technological development within a single country or company has been becoming increasingly difficult. The world has become a single enormous market, as in the case of the patent dispute between Apple and Samsung, and, consequently, there is intense competition in the field of new technology development. In view of these changes, South Korea, along with other major developed countries, is emphasizing the need for international R&D collaboration on S&T policy. However, recent OECD reports show that the indices related to the S&T internationalization of South Korea have remained at a low level compared to the OECD average. Therefore, constant efforts to enhance S&T globalization and the performance of international R&D collaboration are necessary in South Korea. In this study, given that in South Korean universities not only conduct most international collaborations with government-funded R&D projects (74.6%) but also train and produce high-quality R&D manpower, an analysis was conducted on the performance-creating factors for international collaboration on government-funded R&D projects conducted by universities based on such outputs as papers and patents, as well as on the performance-improving factors concerning output-produced international R&D collaborations. In conclusion, implications for performance enhancement were suggested through a comparison of these factors with those discussed in previous studies. On the other hand, a survey of research outputs other than papers and patents, and performance-influencing factors used by researchers with experience of international collaboration in the R&D field, was conducted and the results analyzed. As a result, additional performance evaluating indicators were also suggested to be considered for performance enhancement, because they were thought to connote the practical characteristics of international R&D collaboration.

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