Innovation Alchemy

An incisive and comprehensive new playbook for symbiotic partnerships

In Innovation Alchemy: Building Strong Industry Engagement Partnerships for Impact and Economic Growth, leader of Global Partnerships and Alliances at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, Lori Glover, delivers a compelling exploration of how to create mutually beneficial partnerships and collaborations in and between industry, academia, and beyond. You'll learn how to navigate, structure, and deliver win-win programs and take full advantage of research, faculty connections, new tech, student connections, professional development, capstones, course connections, technology transfer, and start-ups.

Avoiding a “one-size-fits-all” approach, this book clarifies the foundations of solid partnerships and collaborations. It explains the author's 10 Steps to successful partnerships, including:

• How to understand the fundamentals and define your strategy
• Knowing your stakeholders and mapping their connection points
• Understanding possible paths of engagement, plan creation, and team building

Innovation Alchemy offers checklists and tools to help you construct your own partnership plan and a complete roadmap for putting one into practice. It's an essential read for academic and industry leaders interested in unlocking the many benefits that flow from collaborations packed with case studies, leader interviews, toolkits, and additional resources.

Foreword vii

Introduction ix

Part 1

Step 1: Understand the Fundamentals 1

Part 2

Step 2: Define Your Strategy 63

Step 3: Know Your Stakeholders 80

Step 4: Map Your Connection Points 126

Step 5: Understand Possible Paths of Engagement 146

Part 3

Step 6: Create Your Plan 171

Step 7: Build Your Team for Success 182

Step 8: Execute the Plan 186

Step 9: Track Successes and Learn from Mistakes 197

Step 10: Innovate 200

Part 4

Toolkit 205

Additional Resources 237

Notes 239

Acknowledgments 247

About the Author 249

Index 251

LORI GLOVER, J.D., is Managing Director of Global Strategic Alliances for the MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. She is responsible for corporate and organizational engagement with the lab through the CSAIL Alliance Program, research initiatives, the Visiting Industry Researcher program, start-ups and technology ecosystem, professional development programs, and talent recruitment.

In Innovation Alchemy: How to Build Strong Industry Engagement Partnerships for Impact and Economic Growth, Managing Director of Global Strategic Alliances for the MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Lori Glover delivers an eye-opening discussion of how to develop mutually beneficial partnerships and collaborations in and between industry, academia, and beyond.

You’ll explore how to navigate, structure, and deliver win-win programs. You’ll also discover how to take full advantage of research capabilities, faculty, student, and course connections, new tech, professional development, capstones, technology transfer, and start-ups.

The book avoids a “one-size-fits-all” approach, clarifying the foundations of solid partnerships and collaborations and explaining the author’s 10 steps to successful partnerships. From understanding and defining the fundamentals of your strategy to knowing your stakeholders, mapping their connection points, and understanding possible paths of engagement, plan creation, and team building, you’ll examine the building blocks of fruitful collaborations.

Innovation Alchemy provides checklists and tools you can use immediately to help you construct your own partnership plan, as well as a comprehensive roadmap for building a new partnership from the ground up. It’s packed with case studies, leader interviews, and additional resources that are implementation-ready and useful for both new and existing partnerships.

Perfect for managers, executives, directors, entrepreneurs, founders, and other business leaders interested in unlocking the tremendous benefits that flow from collaborations with academia, Innovation Alchemy is also a must-read for academic administrators and education professionals who want to explore those same benefits.

PRAISE FOR InnoVaTION ALCHemY

“Lori Glover’s understanding of ecosystem dynamics is spot on. She has created a straightforward playbook that simplifies the complexities of building a successful ecosystem. As a nonprofit industry association leader, I know firsthand that breaking down silos and working together is essential to driving economic success.”
—SARA FRAIM, CEO, Mass Technology Leadership Council

“At Nasdaq, we recognize the strategic importance of fostering innovation partnerships between academia and industry. This book provides valuable insights and practical tools for creating impactful collaborations, essential for driving growth in today’s fast-paced technology landscape.”
—DAVID BIRNBACH, Head of University Partnerships, Nasdaq Labs

“This book is the essential guide to building industry university partnerships that will stimulate short-term results and provide a tangible blueprint for long-term success. MIT’s CSAIL Alliances program has been our indispensable North Star since day one. What a gift to our economic development community to receive such a definitive guide from the expert who built the model!”
—KATIE STEBBINS, Executive Director, Food & Nutrition Innovation Institute

“As the founding director of CSAIL Alliances, a partnership between MIT’s largest lab and over 100 leading companies, Lori Glover has created a remarkable engine of mutual benefit. For the lab’s researchers, it has enabled a multitude of ambitious research initiatives and a deeper understanding of practical challenges; for the companies, it has given a window into new ways of working and using technology. With this book in hand, in which Lori shares the secrets of her success, research groups and companies everywhere will learn how to build their own collaborations and shape the future of technology.”
—DANIEL JACKSON, MIT Professor, Author of The Essence of Software: Why Concepts Matter for Great Design

“A must-read for faculty and industry innovators who seek to bring industry and academia together.”
—ALEX “SANDY” PENTLAND, Entrepreneur, Stanford University

“Lori Glover’s understanding of ecosystem dynamics is spot on. She has created a straightforward playbook that simplifies the complexities of building a successful ecosystem. As a nonprofit industry association leader, I know firsthand that breaking down silos and working together is essential to driving economic success.”
—Sara Fraim, CEO, Mass Technology Leadership Council

“This book is the essential guide to building industry university partnerships that will stimulate short term results and provide a tangible blueprint for long term success. MIT’s CSAIL Alliances program has been our indispensable North Star since day one. What a gift to our economic development community to receive such a definitive guide from the expert who built the model!”
—Katie Stebbins, Executive Director, Food & Nutrition Innovation Institute

“At Nasdaq, we recognize the strategic importance of fostering innovation partnerships between academia and industry. This book provides valuable insights and practical tools for creating impactful collaborations, essential for driving growth in today’s fast-paced technology landscape.”
—David Birnbach, Head of University Partnerships Nasdaq Labs

“As the founding director of CSAIL Alliances, a partnership between MIT’s largest lab and over 100 leading companies, Lori Glover has created a remarkable engine of mutual benefit. For the lab’s researchers, it has enabled a multitude of ambitious research initiatives and a deeper understanding of practical challenges; for the companies, it has given a window into new ways of working and using technology. With this book in hand, in which Lori shares the secrets of her success, research groups and companies everywhere will learn how to build their own collaborations, and shape the future of technology.”
—Daniel Jackson, MIT Professor, Author of The Essence of Software: Why Concepts Matter for Great Design

“A must read for faculty and industry innovators who seek to bring industry and academia together.”
—Alex “Sandy” Pentland, Entrepreneur, Stanford University