Page - 88 - in Radical Solutions and Open Science - An Open Approach to Boost Higher Education

6 OnlineTechnology inKnowledgeTransfer 93 Fig.6.1 Eightblocksofknowledge transfer 6.3 AdvantagesandDisadvantagesof theModalities 6.3.1 Industrial Eachoftheblocksexhibitsbenefitsandweaknessesthatbecomemoreorlessevident accordingtotheblock’ssuccess inmatchingthetypeofknowledgetobetransferred with thechosendevice.Forexample, the industrialblock, focusedonbusinesscon- tracts,hastheadvantageofreturningtheresultsofresearch,development,orinnova- tion to themarket andsociety throughproductiveuse (Ivascu,Cirjaliu,&Draghici, 2016).When thisdevelopmenthasbeen fundedorfinancedwith regional, national, or international public funds, a tangible andmeasurable process of commodifica- tion that resonates in other subsequent productive processes is usually demanded. A contractwith a company is a clear indication of this demand.Conversely, if the result isprivatelyfunded, thebackerswillcertainlyseekawaytorecoverthat invest- mentthroughindustrialcommodification.Thisblockpresentsweaknesses,however, such as industrial ownership and the beneficiary of the commodification. If a pub- lic agency subsidises research that produces applicable results in auniversityusing public funds, let’s say state funds, and that commodification is attained byway of a contract between theuniversity andacompany, the economicbenefitof the com- modificationwillbecededto theschool.Public fundsoriginateabenefit that reverts to thepublicuniversity,butwhichdoesnotnecessarilyreturn,either infullorpartly, to the funding agent. In this context, the funding agency (the State, for example) functionsasadriverorbreedinggroundat a sunkcost. Thecase is sharper if thepublicbodysubsidises research inaprivateuniversity, meaningthatthecontractbetweentheprivateuniversityandanoutsidecompanymay generateabenefit reverting to thatuniversity.That is,public fundssubsidiseat sunk costaresultthatgeneratesabenefittotheprivatesector;inthiscase,theStateinvests, butprivate individualsbenefit.Although it is true that thepillarsofbothpublic and private universities are portrayed as research and integration to society, leveraging contracts between the school and companies, as inArt. 83 of theOrganicLaw for Universities6/2001(dated21December)oranyothertype,fostersthisintegrationbut