Introduction

GERAD’s mandate can be summed up as follows: scientific development, the training of highly qualified personnel, academic and industrial collaboration, and community impact. Partnerships with industry are crucial in this respect because they drive our projects and research impact, and also help identify new avenues of research.

Over time, GERAD members and industry have formed many partnerships with companies in Quebec and abroad. The above logos illustrate some of these relationships. More details on some of these projects are provided in the examples of partnerships below.

Partnership Structures

The partnerships that have been put in place are structured in a variety of ways, depending on the specific needs of each situation. There are many variations: the size and budget of the project to be undertaken, the involvement of several researchers, some of whom may not be GERAD members and may come from different academic institutions, the objective of one-off research or the implementation of a long-term research plan, the recruitment needs of companies involved, etc.

GERAD provides support where needed. Our support can help establish a first link with your project, your team and those members who may be interested. We are also available to discuss possible funding options, as well as the setting up of a contractual framework in collaboration with the research offices of the universities concerned.

Intellectual Property

The issue of intellectual property is important for all parties involved in innovation processes. University researchers are generally open to all possible cases regarding the attribution and exploitation of intellectual property, based a contractual framework negotiated beforehand.

However, it should be remembered that university research, whether or not linked to industry, supports the pursuit of academic careers both for our members and our students. In all cases, they therefore need to be able to publish interesting research findings, the format, anonymization or timing of which should be negotiated between the parties. Our members and students also need to ensure that the direction of research is not blocked, so they are in a position to undertake followup research projects.

Examples of Partnerships

If you would like to know more about recent partnerships at GERAD, please review details on the following projects:

• The Thales ship-refitting project, for example, is a multi-partner and multi-year collaborative research program that has been undergone five renewals and is now diversifying into other application areas.

• The IBS/AD OPT and GIRO project is the most recent example of a long-term partnership between the two companies and GERAD members. This relationship has been a vector for research development and recruitment for the companies, and has supported their growth from start-up status to a dominant position nowadays in their respective markets.

Where to Start?

The section on our service offering illustrates in more detail the different ways in which GERAD and its team can support your decision science research projects. The section on different types of funding gives an initial idea of the different financial packages available to support your research project. Feel free to contact us to discuss the potential of your project and see if it may be of interest to GERAD members.