Universities: between self referentiality and the risk of double funding

The Italian university is currently at the center of a crucial debate, highlighting both its strategic role and the structural difficulties in responding to the needs of a rapidly transforming society. The main critical issues concern three fundamental areas: education, often perceived as inadequate to the demands of the contemporary labor market; technology transfer, unable to reach the frontiers of innovation; and the third mission, which should promote local development but often proves ineffective due to fragmented and distorted approaches.

This situation not only raises doubts about the overall effectiveness of the Italian university system but also undermines the trust between universities and businesses, two worlds that should collaborate synergistically to promote the economic and social growth of the country.

Cultural Crisis and distortion of the Third Mission

One of the main issues is represented by an attitude of cultural arrogance that permeates academia. Statements from certain academics such as: “I don’t expect to find scientists in a company!” or “we do not go down to the territory!” reflect a view that reduces businesses to mere tools to support academic research, without any consideration for their operational needs or the technological challenges they face.

This vision has transformed the third mission, which should serve as a bridge between universities and society, into a missed opportunity. Rather than fostering cooperation, the university entrenches itself in dynamics that end up triggering unfair competition among the actors in the technology transfer chain. Funds intended to promote innovation are sometimes used to support basic research, distorting the objectives of public funding and penalizing the industrial fabric.

The Risk of Double Funding

A particularly delicate issue is that of double funding. Public funds intended for technology transfer and industrial innovation are often interpreted as funds supporting academia. In this context, companies are often seen as mere co-financers rather than as recipients of real processes of open collaboration.

Such an approach, in addition to creating a risk of double funding, undermines the effectiveness of the entire system, erodes trust between universities and businesses, and prevents the creation of a truly innovative, cooperative, and competitive ecosystem.

Facade Collaborations: A Reality to Change

Despite a narrative that describes companies as “strategic partners,” in practice the relationship is often unbalanced. Companies are often used as a tool to fuel academic publications or research projects without any real involvement in decision-making processes or in defining objectives.

This dynamic aimed at perpetuating self-referential processes constitutes a barrier that hinders, rather than facilitates, technology transfer with negative effects on socio-economic development.

Towards Relationships Based on Respect, Loyalty, and Transparency

To overcome these critical issues, it is necessary to deeply rethink the relationship between universities and businesses, building a collaboration based on transparency, mutual respect, and effective cooperation. It is essential to value companies as places of applied innovation, actively involving them in defining research objectives, thus creating a more direct link between the academic world and the productive one. Furthermore, it is necessary to integrate all local actors, such as startups, professionals, technology centers, integrators, and consultants, into a collaborative supply chain, where each part contributes within a cooperative network. Finally, it is crucial to redefine the role of the university’s third mission, transforming it into a driver of local development, with concrete and measurable objectives that directly impact the territory.

A Collaborative Ecosystem for the Future

The Italian university faces a crucial choice: to continue perpetuating a model based on cultural arrogance and the risk of double funding, or to embrace a renewal approach based on productive and equal collaboration with businesses and local actors.

This transformation is not only desirable but necessary. Only through a change in mindset and transparent management of funding will it be possible to create an innovative ecosystem capable of competing globally and responding to the needs of a constantly evolving society. In doing so, academic research can finally become a concrete engine for the economic and social development of the country.