Doctorate in Cooperation with Industry – Information for Industry Partners
A doctorate in cooperation with industry combines the academic expertise of a university with a company’s research interests and practical experience. As a company, you can play an active role in shaping a doctorate in cooperation with industry – from developing a research idea, through collaboration during the doctorate, to the transfer of the results.
Doctoral studies and academic quality assurance are the responsibility of the university as the degree granting organisation. The respective faculties or doctoral committees decide on the approval of the doctoral topic and the doctoral candidate.
Benefits at a glance
- Retaining skilled talent early on
- Access to state-of-the-art research and scientific expertise
- Addressing practice-oriented problems at a high academic level
- Visibility as a research-intensive, science-oriented employer
- Establishing a sustainable network with the university
Contribution from the industry partner
Proposing practice-relevant research questions
Providing research facilities and resources
Appoint a qualified contact person
Enable participation in colloquia, conferences and training programmes
Ensure regular exchange
Transferring research findings into practice
Quality standards: What company partners need to know
Even if a company helps shape the research topic or employs the doctoral candidate, all dissertations have to follow the same academic quality standards. Data and conclusions must be scientifically verifiable and accessible to the examination committee.
Orientation from the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK):
The guidelines on quality assurance for the doctorate involving an external employment contract (available in German) outline key requirements regarding:
- Topic selection
- Supervision
- Academic affiliation
- Evaluation
- Publication & intellectual property
For companies, this means:
- The academic independence of the doctorate must be preserved.
- The company is a collaborative partner, not an examining body.
- Company interests may be taken into account, but they must not override academic requirements.
- All parties involved are required to adhere to the rules of good scientific practice.
Publication, confidentiality, and rights of use
Doctoral candidates are required to publish their dissertations. At the same time, companies may have a legitimate interest in protecting trade secrets or economically significant research findings. The German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) therefore recommends transparent regulations and clearly defined, short deadlines for reviewing publications.
Important: The copyright to the dissertation generally belongs to the doctoral candidate; the transfer or granting of rights of use should be contractually regulated in a timely manner (preferably before the start of the doctoral program).
Before starting the doctorate, please clarify:
- What information and data are confidential?
- Which results can be published?
- How does the company review a planned publication?
- What deadlines apply for publication approval?
- Which results are eligible for patenting?
- What rights of use and exploitation should apply?
Supervision in the company
Identify points of contact within the company
In addition to academic supervision at the university, it is helpful to have a qualified contact person (preferably with an academic background) at the company. This person can serve as a mentor to support the doctoral candidate in integrating into the company’s practical work.
However, the roles should remain clearly distinct:
Doctoral Candidate
Independent research for the doctoral dissertation
University
Academic supervision, evaluation, and administration of the doctoral process
Company
Practice-oriented support, access to resources and providing the context
Structuring supervision meetings (University – Company – Doctoral candidate)
Regular meetings involving all stakeholders help align expectations, reflect on the progress of the dissertation and identify potential conflicts early on. The German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) recommends proactive and institutionalized communication, such as through regular meetings.
We are currently developing:
- Guidelines for supervision meetings as part of a doctorate in cooperation with industry
- Template for meeting minutes to record agreements in a binding manner