Successful HEI–Industry Collaboration: Insights from WIL25 Workshop

One of the workshops at WIL 25 explored what makes higher education-indystry collaboration successful. The aim of the workshop was to share examples, learn from each other, and explore future possibilities for industry-academia collaboration - building connections and inspiring new ways of practicing WIL. Participants from different countries and institutions first shared concrete examples of partnerships that have worked well in their own contexts and what they needed to sucseed with such partnerships in the future. 

The session then turned to Anne-Marie Fannon, Director of the Work-Learn Institute at the University of Waterloo who presented Work-Learn's EPIC framework for industry-academic partnerships. EPIC identifies four key dimensions: 

• Easy Entry - lowering barriers for industry to engage with higher education, through clear websites, caralogues of partnership opportunities, and open pathways for collaboration.
• Proffesional Support - providing dedicated staff, training and leadership commitment to ensure partnerships are well supported and strategically aligned. 
• Integrated Systems - building internal structures such as databases, performance metrics, and institutional recognition that enable systematic and sustainable collaboration.
• Continuous Collaboration - focusing on trust, long-term relationships, and adapting to evolving needs so that engagement continues beyond individual projects. 

In the group discussions, two guiding questions shaped the reflections: 

1. What are the most successful examples of HEI–industry collaboration?

• Collaborative teacher education projects where students and schools learn with and from each other.
• Problem-based and challenge-based learning initiatives, such as the WE project and INNlocal, connecting students directly with organizational needs.
• Industry-linked thesis projects, giving students real-world problem-solving opportunities.
• Partnerships between sport and health organizations and universities, fostering placements, research, and knowledge transfer.
• Cross-border case studies (e.g., Norway–Sweden) demonstrating shared value and knowledge exchange.

2. What is needed to strengthen HEI–industry collaboration in the future?

• Clearer communication channels and transparent processes for engagement.
• Professional support structures and dedicated staff or departments to facilitate partnerships.
• Strong institutional commitment, with leadership support from both top-down and bottom-up.
• Opportunities for academics to spend time in industry (e.g., sabbaticals) to better understand context and needs.
• Recognition of mutual benefits, trust-building, and long-term commitment beyond single projects.

The workshop highlighted both inspiring examples and practical strategies. Together, the EPIC framework and participants' reflection underscored that successful collaboration requires both structure and culture: systems and policies that make engagement easy, combined with relationships that foster trust, continuity, and innovation.