NSF Award
1538799
The pharmaceutical industry provides a crucial role in improving human health. Over the past 20 years established firms have faced declining efficiency and effectiveness of their R&D efforts. In response, dozens of industry-supported R&D consortia have been formed to create and share knowledge between private and public participants, which include large and small firms, universities and other research institutes. This project will study these consortia and how firms reconcile the open nature of consortia with their traditional IP-based business models. The project offers theoretical insights for understanding consortia-style R&D collaboration and also for assessing new R&D approaches in the pharmaceutical industry. The project will have direct relevance for leaders of consortia and other public-private partnerships. Finally, disseminating best practice for these consortia will help maximize the benefits that biomedical firms gain from such collaborations, accelerating the availability of improvements in human health. <br/><br/>This project will offer the first large-scale study of the open R&D consortia as a new form of cooperation in the pharmaceutical industry. The project will create a public use database and typology of R&D consortium based on archival data. Interviews will be used to provide detailed case studies that will examine intellectual property issues, knowledge appropriation and strategic alliances in the implementation and operation of R&D consortium. A deeper understanding of how firms manage the flow of information in open innovation contexts has the potential to make a significant contribution for managers and policy makers.
