The university and the external environment - towards a collaborative system of resources exchange

Over the centuries, the role of universities and its impact on economic, social and cultural environment has changed. University relations with the main stakeholders: industry (business) and government have been changing from static and laissez faire to balanced configuration. The cooperation of these entities forms what we can call collaborative system of resources exchange. The main objective of collaboration with parties involved is to develop innovative solutions and to get the added value to each party. Value co-creation in a collaborative system depends on the ability to select and reconfigure individual elements in the way in which the emergence of new knowledge in a synergistic process takes place. University to meet the requirements of functioning in a collaborative system must adapt both its strategy (business model) and its internal processes. On the strategic level organizational culture based on dynamism of action, ability to take risks, willingness to change, ability to take advantage of opportunities, search for new ideas and innovation is of crucial importance. On operational level of crucial importance are relations between the process of knowledge production (research), the process of knowledge transfer (education), and the process of application of knowledge (innovation).