Partnership management involves maintaining relationships with partners. It is important to formally establish partnerships through agreements that define governance, roles, and responsibilities. There are four key steps to cultivating partnerships: 1) establish the partnership, 2) determine governance, 3) formalize agreements, and 4) maintain the relationship over time. Formalizing partnerships creates transparency and a shared understanding to achieve common goals.

1. Partnership Management
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2. Partnership Strategy
Partnership management
Is the process of
following up on
and
maintaining
relationships with partners
Setting up a research partnership can be one of the most important
decisions that a TTO needs to make
The right partnerships can push innovation, ideas and new opportunities
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3. Partnership Strategy
Stages in cooperation and partnerships
Different stages in cooperation require different approaches of partners
and different levels of agreements
Coordination
Strategic
and
Partnership
Commitment
Partner
Common
Activities
Long-time
Cooperation
Several
Projects
Project
Strategic Meaning
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4. Process of cultivating partnerships
Four important steps within the process of cultivating partnerships:
1. Establish partnerships
2. Determine governance
3. Formalize partnerships
4. Maintain relationships
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5. Step 1: Establish partnerships
 Determine in an early stage to what extent a partner will be involved in a
project or collaboration on short or long term
 At IBBT : four types of partnerships:
•Alliance partners
•Research partners
•Project partners
•Strategic Partners
The goal of the cooperation, the actions undertaken and the details of the
agreement differ according to the involvement of the partners
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6. Step 2: Determine governance
 Be clear about how you will work together to achieve the goals
 Example
 Project Management: governance is the process of decision making
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7. Step 3: Formalize partnerships
 Effectively managing the engagement of one or more partners require
formal agreements
 Be clear about roles and responsibilities of partners in the agreement
 Also helpful when something does go wrong within the partnership.
The range of typical partner management agreements includes:
Informal agreements between two or more partners to work together
Memoranda of understanding (MOUs) or Letter of Intent LOI’s
Legal Contracts, Bi-Lateral Agreements ...
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8. Step 4: Maintain relationships
 A strong relationship does not stop with the signing of an agreement
 Frequent communication during the process of collaboration - formally
or informally – to check whether all parties are satisfied with the
partnership
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9. Who?
Stakeholders
Researchers
In most cases the research partner is responsible for the research methodology and the work
breakdown.
Industry
Since the projects within IBBT are market driven, it is clear that the industrial partner defines the
expected outcome of the collaboration.
Technology Transfer Officers (TTO’s)
The TTO guides the procedure of formalising the partnership and tackles all issues concerning IP.
External Consultants
Legal issues are in many cases handled by an external consultant.
Policy Makers
Policy makers influence the fields of activity in which research is carried out.
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10. Pro’s & Cons
 Pro’s
• Clear identification of roles and responsibilities of partners and of all partners’ expectations.
• Research organisations offer third parties expertise in particular research fields and methods
• Research organisations can develop their expert skills further, by working together with third parties.
• For many third parties, partnering with a research organisation gives them credibility and is a kind of
guarantee for rigorous research done. It can help to raise the impact of the research when disseminating
the findings.
• Third parties can provide valuable information about the needs, perspectives and experiences of the
users.
• Research partners can benefit from the access to the third parties network to enhance the impact of the
research.
• A partnership agreement creates transparency and a clear understanding of the common goals and the
way to work together.
• Partnership management also clarifies all possible issues about IP and IPR.
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11. Pro’s & Cons
 Cons
• Setting up a partnership takes time.
Agreeing on a partnership agreement can be time-consuming because it assumes a
combination of content-details of the research/work to be done and the legal
obligations.
• Finding the right balance between the commercial point of view of an industrial
partner and the fundamental research desire of a research group is not always easy.
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12. Rationale
 Working with partners can broaden the scope of what the projects can
achieve.
 The goal in partnerships is to achieve more than individual partners can
achieve on their own
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13. Impact
 It is very important that partners share a common vision and purpose
and that this is reflected in a formal partnership
 We recommend that a partnership is formalised in a detailed partner or
consortium agreement, clearly stipulating the common goal of the
collaboration, all do’s and don'ts and all legal aspects
 Especially within the context of a research project it is important that
there is a clear understanding of what the IP outcome will be and how
knowledge will be used and/or shared by the partners
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