Leveraging Scientific Research for Business Improvement: A PRISMA Review

Abstract

University-Industry Collaboration (UIC) is a crucial driver of knowledge exchange, traditionally framed by the triple, quadruple, and quintuple helix models. While these models emphasize synergistic collaboration and mutual benefits stemming from strong relationships, a key aspect often overlooked is industry's capacity to utilize existing scientific knowledge, such as research articles. Universities consistently generate new scientific insights, offering a vast, underutilized resource for knowledge transfer beyond conventional UIC frameworks, particularly for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). This paper addresses this gap through a comprehensive systematic literature review. Following PRISMA methodology, we identified a foundational set of 616 articles from diverse scientific databases using a three-tiered core concept approach: 1) SMEs, 2) scientific research results, and 3) business improvement. A semantic search program, leveraging a pre-trained sentence-embedding model, then pinpointed relevant case studies. After rigorous threshold fine-tuning, 18 articles were selected for in-depth qualitative analysis. Preliminary automated analysis revealed thematic categories for Access challenges, Impact assessment, Research focus, and Utilization strategies. The in-depth analysis further explores the interplay within these themes, focusing on identifying research gaps within the literature. The insights derived will contribute to furthering the understanding of knowledge transfer dynamics in UIC and SME innovation, highlighting practical avenues for facilitating SME engagement with scientific knowledge.