Newsletter
Could you briefly introduce the concept of Industrial Doctorates within the MSCA framework?
The MSCA Industrial Doctoral (ID) programmes were first introduced in the MSCA in 2014 with the launch of the Horizon 2020 programme, facilitating doctoral programmes via partnerships between universities, research institutions and infrastructures, SMEs and other socio- economic actors. Their objective was, and still is, to promote international, inter-sectoral and multi/interdisciplinary collaboration in doctoral training in Europe and beyond.
To achieve this, doctoral candidates are co- supervised by supervisors from both the academic and non-academic sectors and must spend at least 50% of their fellowship time in the non-academic sector. This is, of course, on top of the basic features of any MSCA Doctoral Network (DN) that already promotes inter- sectoral and interdisciplinary collaboration as well as the emphasis on transferable skills. It is important to recall that the MSCA ID caters not only for the industry but also to other non-academic actors such as NGOs, charities, think-tanks, hospitals, museums, and so on.
One of the core goals of the Industrial Doctorates is to connect academic training with real-world industry challenges. In your experience, what are the biggest barriers to successfully implementing such collaborations, and how might institutions and companies work together to overcome them?
The MSCA ID projects are effective in
delivering their objectives and with a high
level of satisfaction from all three sides:
Sohail Luka
the academic partner, the non-academic partner, and the doctoral candidate. However, we are keen on continuously improving our Industrial Doctorates through regular consultations with stakeholders and feedback from projects. The top three challenges identified from this feedback were joint supervision, intellectual property rights (IPR) issues, and the need for more flexibility, especially with the secondment rules. With regard to joint supervision and the IPR issues, prior agreements within the consortium at the start of the project proved essential in avoiding them and in clarifying mutual expectations. As to the need for more flexibility, we have already relaxed some of the requirements for IDs since the launch of Horizon Europe, and we are currently reflecting on going even further with simplification measures in the future.
MSCA Industrial Doctorates model
Balancing academic excellence with industry applicability can be complex. How does the MSCA Industrial Doctorates model ensure that researchers maintain scientific depth while gaining hands-on industry experience?
It is true that the cultures of the academic and non-academic worlds are different. Their objectives are different, and, in a way, they sometimes speak different languages. On the surface, this could appear as a conflictual divergence between the two respective objectives of advancing knowledge (academia) and valorising knowledge (non-academia). Yet, in fact, it is in this very divergence that the added value of Industrial Doctorates lies, as it provides exciting horizons for cross- fertilisation. At the same time, academic excellence and rigour are not being put at risk since it is the academic partner that awards the doctoral degree using the same standards and criteria applied to other types of doctorates.
What unique skills or competencies do Industrial Doctorate researchers gain compared to their peers in purely academic settings? How do these experiences shape their future career pathways, especially in innovation- driven sectors?
While all MSCA DNs emphasise training on transferable skills like management, entrepreneurship, and communication, ID doctoral candidates get first-hand experience in learning, practising, and applying those skills on a daily basis. They also learn the culture of non-academia and start understanding a language not often spoken on campus. Career-wise, the fellowship can metaphorically be viewed as a job interview lasting for years: helping the candidate with the decision of whether to stay in academia or to switch to the non-academic world, and helping the non-academic partner decide if the doctoral candidate is the right talent it seeks. Indeed, a questionnaire filled out by former MSCA fellows two years after they completed their fellowships revealed the following percentages of fellows working in non-academic entities: Post-Doctoral Fellowships (11%), Doctoral Networks (49%) and Industrial Doctorates (77%).
Many early-stage researchers face challenges in securing funding for interdisciplinary or industry-linked projects. What advice would you offer to navigate the funding landscape effectively and ensure project sustainability?
When asked about their opinion on the benefits of engaging in IDs, for both the academic and non-academic sides, a top benefit was the creation of long-lasting collaborations. Therefore, the sustainability of ID projects after they end is already taking place. These long-term collaborations are even more effective when partners focus on them as an objective from the start of the project. Separately, another source of seeking funding for interdisciplinary and industry- linked projects is the excellent opportunities provided by the European Innovation Council (EIC).
What incentives or approaches have proven effective in encouraging industry partners to invest in or support Industrial Doctorate candidates?
Industry partners are highly interested in access to talent and cutting-edge research. These are important incentives for industrial partners who choose to engage in IDs. It seems, however, that there is a need to further raise awareness among innovation- based industries about the value of having a doctoral candidate as part of their teams. This is, of course, in addition to improving the conditions already mentioned, like providing more flexibility and administrative simplification.
Do you foresee the Industrial Doctorates model becoming a standard path for doctoral training in Europe and beyond? What steps are needed to scale or sustain these initiatives long- term?
Yes, I do, and it is already a standard format of doctoral programmes in some European universities. However, the interest in IDs is highly field-specific. Looking at the MSCA ID projects we funded in the past, this becomes very evident. Out of the 8 disciplinary MSCA panels, Engineering, Life Sciences, and Chemistry together accounted for 80% of all funded IDs, with Engineering alone standing at 45%. Therefore, a key element in scaling and sustaining IDs is that they would be needed, i.e., that there would be market demand for them. Indeed, in some of the science parks where academia, innovation, and industry intermingle seamlessly, there is not even a need to think about incentives or ways to encourage industries to engage in IDs.
Sohail Luka
European Comission
MSCA Unit, Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission
sohail.luka@ec.europa.eu
Polat Goktas
Orcid
X
LinkedIn
MCAA Newsletter Editorial Board
polatgoktas@gmail.com