Binding and bonding of commercialization and collaboration by KPIs: An integrated approach for sustainable agriculture research performance management

Abstract

Commercialization and collaboration are the essence of the sustainability of applied research. These two critical success factors (CSFs) are instrumental in creating a conducive research culture that produces socially impactful innovations and contributes to the country's economic growth. This study explores the perceptions of 32 research leaders in the upper echelon of research administration of 24 research institutes in Sri Lanka regarding the management of collaboration and commercialization aspects in research and development (R&D). Experts' opinions were analyzed using thematic analysis methodology based on grounded theory, etc. Results suggest that commercialization was not optimized beyond a threshold value of innovative activity from a developing country perspective and that collaborations were underestimated in propelling innovation engines. Similarities were observed in their insights on commercialization and collaboration, highlighting the necessity of integrating those measurements for a synergetic effect. The authors propose that R&D institutes can model these two CSFs as interlinked Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) within an integrated Performance Management System (PMS). This approach helps mitigate the risk of R&D efforts failing to translate into innovations by generating early performance insights that prevent research leaders from selecting unpromising R&D endeavors, while also ensuring that the most promising initiatives are prioritized during the early stages of the research process. The authors, therefore, propose a novel decision-making model that maintains a balanced focus across CSFs by fostering organizational flexibility. Policy directives supporting the integrated management of commercialization and collaboration were discussed to enhance their mutual reinforcement in driving agriculture research innovations beneficial to society.