This project is made possible through the generous support of the European Commission and in collaboration with 4FRONT Finland.
The study systematically maps 30 good practices of academia-public authority cooperation across 14 EU Member States, analysing their effectiveness, sustainability, and transferability. It identifies five core cooperation functions: uptake of scientific evidence in policy-making, scientific dialogue in political decision-making, knowledge for public services, commercialisation of research, and co-creation with societal engagement. The methodology combines desk research, structured scoring, and stakeholder consultations (workshops, focus groups, interviews) to validate findings. A policy toolbox was developed as a separate deliverable to support practitioners in designing or scaling cooperation mechanisms. Policy relevance lies in addressing Europe’s need for evidence-informed policy-making and strengthening knowledge valorisation as outlined in the EU’s Council Recommendation. The study provides actionable recommendations to enhance knowledge-policy interfaces, public-sector innovation capacity, and trust between academia and authorities. Wider impact includes improving decision-making quality, fostering public-value creation (beyond commercialisation), and embedding structured, long-term collaboration models. It highlights success factors like institutionalised brokerage, clear demand from public authorities, and reciprocal engagement. The findings support ERA Policy Agenda priorities, including broader recognition of societal value in knowledge valorisation. The toolbox and good practices serve as practical resources for R&I stakeholders to adopt or adapt proven cooperation models.
