Industry and academia links survey 2024
An interactive report using anonymised data to analyse trends in collaborations between industry and academic institutions.
Executive summary
The ABPI has conducted a survey on industry-academic links biannually since 2003. Within this survey, different links are taken into account such as PhDs, undergraduates and apprenticeships.
The links between industry and academia provides significant benefits for both. This includes the sharing of ideas and knowledge, increased access to facilities and equipment as well as the building of networks and relationships between industry and academic institutes.
The 2024 survey has found that long-term collaboration is valued within the pharmaceutical sector. More than half of postdoctoral positions were funded for between 3 and 4 years, also 3 in 4 PhDs were funded for 4 years. Further, a range of different business areas are supported through industry-academic links, with 15 different business areas captured for undergraduate industrial placements and 17 for apprenticeships. In addition, these links are beneficial across the whole of the UK, with more than 70 academic institutions recorded for undergraduate placements, and even worldwide with 27 countries hosting postdoctoral collaborations.
Links to previous iterations of the survey and related publications:
2019 report: Industry and academia links survey 2019
2019 blog: What new data tells us about Academia-Industry links
2017 report: Industry and academia links survey 2017
2015 report: Developing talent and partnerships to create new medicines
2011 report: Enriching research, training scientists
2010 report: The changing shape of academic collaborations with the pharmaceutical industry