Transdisciplinary Research and Stakeholder Collaboration

In May 2025, new evidence from academic and practitioner circles highlighted the increasing relevance of transdisciplinary research as a tool for enhancing collaboration between universities and external stakeholders. A bibliometric study led by Philip James Purnell analyzed publishing trends from 2013 to 2022 and found that while academic partnerships with governments and nonprofits have increased proportionally, collaborations with industry have declined by 16% relative to total academic output. This gap signals a growing need for stronger mechanisms to align academic research with the innovation and operational demands of the private sector—especially in areas such as sustainability, energy, and infrastructure, where societal impacts are most direct.