University–Industry Cooperation under the Conditions of Technological Modernization in Russia

The article examines the role of universities in the technological modernization of the country. Such modernization requires not only strong education and science, but also high-quality partnerships between universities and the industrial sector. The aim of the study is to analyze key indicators of university–industry cooperation in the context of Russia’s technological modernization based on the assessment of statistical data, including the volume of R&D, revenues from intellectual property, licensing agreements, the number of participants in continuing professional education programs, enterprises with contracts for training specialists, and companies serving as internship bases. Based on these indicators, a series of university clusters were identified. The research was conducted using the case of one of the leading regions of scientific and technological development in the Russian Federation – the Republic of Tatarstan. The analysis allowed the 44 universities of the region to be grouped into several clusters: leaders of technological modernization, particularly strong in R&D and showing high performance across all parameters; practice-oriented universities with strong engagement with industrial partners; research centers, leaders in intellectual activity and R&D but lagging in educational cooperation; outsiders, underperforming across all dimensions; and niche specialists, showing leading performance in one or two indicators. For each cluster, recommendations were developed to support managerial decision-making aimed at enhancing cooperation with the industrial sector. The statistical base of the study consisted of data from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. The research methodology included comparative analysis (university benchmarking), structural and dynamic analysis (evaluation by various indicators), and cluster analysis (grouping of universities). The findings may be useful for regional authorities, universities, and enterprises in making strategic decisions.