As Europe comes under growing pressure to realise its strategic ambitions in competitiveness and technological leadership, industrial doctorates are gaining recognition as a strategic instrument for delivering on these goals.
The CESAER Task Force Learning & Teaching held the event ‘Industrial doctorates: shaping the future of Europe's high-skilled workforce’ on 22 May 2025, kindly hosted by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim. It brought together stakeholders from academia, industry, and policy to explore how doctoral education can better bridge the gap between knowledge creation and innovation. Two panel discussions, a keynote by the European Commission, and insights from case studies offered a multifaceted view on the progress, challenges, and future of industrial doctorates.
“There’s so much valuable knowledge sitting in papers. Industrial doctorates are about learning how to implement that research and get things done.” -- Kathrine Kjos Five (PhD candidate)
The session opened with a presentation by Touko Närhi (CESAER Advisor for Benchmark & Higher Education), who shared findings from six new case studies on industrial doctorates developed by CESAER Member universities in the Task Force Learning & Teaching. His presentation also drew on insights from the earlier report ‘Models of engagement for PhDs with non-academic partners’ (October 2024), produced by CESAER Task Force Innovation.
Case studies from 12 CESAER Member universities (2024–2025) explored funding, sectoral engagement, supervision, IP, and publication practices. Despite differences in structure, a common message emerged: industrial doctorates strengthen university–industry collaboration, research impact, and equip candidates with in-demand skills for key sectors. Programmes vary widely in structure in Europe—particularly regarding funding, IP, and company supervision—but various case studies strongly emphasised maintaining academic standards equivalent to traditional PhDs.
Moderated by Justyna Szostak
(Co-Chair of CESAER Task Force Learning & Teaching; Chair of the Internationalisation Committee; Rector’s Representative for International Educational Programmes, Gdańsk University of Technology), the first panel explored how industrial doctorates can drive innovation at regional level by deepening collaboration between universities and businesses. Drawing on experiences from across Europe, the panel discussed what is needed to make these programmes more impactful — from stronger frameworks and mutual understanding to increased support for SMEs.
Toril Hernes (Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation, NTNU) shared Norway’s model of Centres for Research-based Innovation (SRIs), which foster sustained collaboration and help NTNU place many PhD graduates in industry. She emphasised that PhDs are not just technical experts — they help translate and transfer academic research and knowledge into innovation in industry. Hernes advocated pooled models like centres of excellence and called for EU-level mechanisms to facilitate SME participation.
“This is not just about higher education. It’s about shaping society and building a competitive Europe. Doctoral education, when done right, is a tool for nation-building and for preparing Europe for the future,” she added.
László Nyulászi (Chair of the Doctoral Council, Budapest University of Technology and Economics) stressed that, regardless of context, PhDs should be seen as research training focused on problem-solving and methodological rigour. While Hungary’s engineering tradition ensures strong links to industry, he highlighted the need for deeper outreach, especially to firms less engaged in high-level research.
Eduardo Martínez (Project Manager, Aigües de Barcelona) outlined how industrial PhDs contribute directly to innovation in his company, working on practical challenges like microplastics and water quality. Since 2013, 13 doctoral candidates have completed projects with the company, five of whom were hired. He noted, however, that without research-literate supervisors inside the company, SMEs risk misusing PhD talent for routine tasks.
Kathrine Kjos Five (Industrial PhD candidate, Norwegian University of Science and Technology / Nutrimar) spoke about the lack of visibility of these programmes among young researchers. She valued the opportunity to combine academic and industry perspectives, noting that impactful research often means applying small, practical improvements. Success, she argued, depends on clear governance, mutual respect, and companies understanding that a PhD is not short-term consultancy.
Marek Kruszewski (Director of International Relations and Innovative Projects, INWEBIT) brought in the SME perspective, echoing concerns about limited awareness and barriers to engagement. He highlighted that SMEs often lack the resources or experience to navigate the demands of hosting doctoral candidates, and called for better guidance and support mechanisms to open access.
The discussion underscored that industrial doctorates thrive when built on trust, clear expectations, and strong academic supervision. National and EU-level support — including pooled funding, thematic centres, and flexible frameworks — will be key to scaling up their impact, particularly for SMEs.
In his keynote address, Sohail Luka, Policy Officer at the European Commission for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), made a strong case for industrial doctorates in relation to Europe’s competitiveness strategy. Drawing on his experience in academia, industry, and policy, he framed these programmes as essential connectors between excellent research and tangible societal impact.
He noted that industrial doctorates align with recent EU-level calls to close the innovation gap, retain talent, and promote knowledge circulation. They foster “valorisation by design”, embedding impact from the outset while building innovation-friendly skills and bridging an often-observed academia-industry cultural divide.
Luka praised the MSCA’s bottom-up approach, noting that its doctoral networks drive innovation on par with other Horizon Europe programmes. “Despite recurring calls to focus on thematic topics, our model proves that bottom-up excellence delivers,” he said. “Since 2012, 20 MSCA-affiliated researchers have become Nobel laureates.”
He also presented figures: since Horizon 2020, MSCA has funded 155 industrial doctorate consortia supporting around 930 PhD candidates, 40% of whom were hosted by SMEs. Yet uptake remains low, with industrial doctorates accounting for just 6% of all MSCA doctoral projects in 2023. Some challenges cited by doctoral candidates and supervisors (both academic and non-academic) were related to joint supervision and the need for simplification and flexibility.
Luka closed with a reflection from his previous industry career, recalling a statement used by an industry leader when asked to make the distinction between research and innovation: “Research is using money to make knowledge. Innovation is using knowledge to make money.” He suggested that this phrase, while more catchy than accurate, captures the dual challenge at the heart of industrial doctorates—turning academic insight into real-world practical impact.
Moderated by Roberto Zanino (Co-Chair of CESAER Task Force Learning & Teaching; Rector’s Senior Advisor for International University Networks and the European University Alliance Unite!, Politecnico di Torino), the second panel shifted focus to the systemic changes needed to scale up industrial doctorates in support of Europe’s broader ambitions in innovation, skills, and competitiveness.
A recurring challenge identified was the lack of a unified European framework. Eugenio Brusa (Professor, former Head of the Doctoral School and Executive Committee member – Unite! European Alliance; UDS Board Coordinator, Unite! Doctoral School 2025–2028, Politecnico di Torino) highlighted how differing national definitions of industrial doctorates complicate programme design and regulatory alignment. To overcome this, Unite! introduced a shared governance model, including a code of conduct and a Regulatory framework agreement, enabling cross-border joint doctoral programmes with non-academic partners. Brusa underlined the need for purpose-built programmes aligned with real economic and societal needs—underpinned by and going beyond academic excellence.
Sohail Luka (European Commission) shared reflections on how to boost participation in the MSCA industrial doctorates by making them more agile, flexible and streamlined. “Flexibility doesn’t mean chaos,” he remarked. “It means trusting academic and industry partners to tailor their programmes with more trust and less prescription”. Luka suggested exploring a shift from imposing rigid structures to incentive-based approaches, while also addressing the disproportionate administrative burden on universities when compared to that of the non-academic partners according to the feedback received from participants. He further underscored the role of industrial doctorates in developing “innovation-ready talent” and contributing to science-based policymaking.
Simon Marti (Head of the EUA Council for Doctoral Education, EUA-CDE) presented data from their first 2025 survey report (available here) showing that 83% of technical universities offer collaborative doctorates with the private sector, public or non-profit institutions. At the same time, universities consider employer recognition to be limited. Only 25% of respondents from technical universities believed the PhD is fully valued by employers. Marti called for action to close this gap, particularly through stronger relations with sectors outside academia and more transferable skills training for doctoral candidates. This requires a “parity of esteem” between academic and non-academic careers of PhD holders.
“Universities and doctoral graduates already make a major contribution to society and Europe’s economic competitiveness. At the same time, the collaboration with sectors beyond academia can be further developed to contribute even more effectively.” he reflected.
Alberto Gonzalez (Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Manager, EIT InnoEnergy) shared lessons from a discontinued PhD school focused on start-ups. Despite the substantial value creation by the school, and the more than 30 ventures created by 180 doctoral candidates, the long return on investment was difficult to reconcile with the business reality of a commercial company. Gonzalez emphasised that successful models must offer a clear value proposition to industry, supported by realistic timelines and sustainable financing.
Among the questions raised during the discussion was whether Europe should explore entirely new, fit-for-purpose training models—potentially beyond traditional doctoral structures—to better serve the needs of both academia and industry. This could include more flexible, work-integrated approaches for talent who cannot commit to multi-year PhD programmes but still seek formal recognition of advanced research and innovation skills. While no single model will suit all contexts, such ideas were seen by some as worth exploring to complement existing industrial doctorate pathways.
The panel concluded with a clear message: industrial doctorates can help Europe boost innovation and retain talent, but to achieve this, they must become an integral, well-supported part of the research and innovation landscape.
The event highlighted that industrial doctorates are more than a training model—they have strategic value for Europe’s innovation ecosystems and competitiveness. Yet to fully realise their potential, a more flexible and joined-up approach is needed across funding, design, and implementation.
Key takeaways from the case studies, panels and keynote include:
The message was clear: industrial doctorates can play a vital role in strengthening Europe’s innovation ecosystems—if supported by enabling frameworks, sustainable funding, and a culture of mutual trust between academia and industry.
For more information, please contact our Advisor for Benchmark & Higher Education, Touko Närhi.
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