Designing and developing products through knowledge transfer collaborations

Using case studies ranging from medical devices to construction products, this book offers a detailed insight into the ways in which new products can be developed through 'knowledge transfer' (KT) collaborations between manufacturers and universities. KT collaborations are not simply aimed at developing new products; their ultimate goal is to improve the partners' knowledge of the product field and to pass on that knowledge to others in appropriate ways. This book examines some of the tensions inherent in such an arrangement and the ways of addressing them. The insights offered by this book will improve understanding about the ways in which commerce and academia can work together and about the design methods required when working to international standards. This understanding will be useful not only to industrial designers and design researchers, but also to those involved in developing medical devices designed to be used by patients. The book was developed as a way of forming a body of Anthony's design research papers into a narrative that addresses many of the current tensions and debates concerning the relationship between design academics and manufacturing companies.