Companies develop quality research to boost their innovation, be more competitive and attract qualified researchers. However, the quality of companies' scientific results can be affected by changes in the business cycle. The co-production of scientific knowledge with universities tends to improve the quality of business research, but to the point of offsetting the worst moments of growth cycles? Similarly, the development of quality technology in companies, in particular with universities, may vary in expansions and crises. On the other hand, quality science and technology (S&T) is increasingly nourished by contributions from non-business, non-university organizations, such as NGOs, associations, foundations, etc., or from individuals. The quality of this 'societal' S&T is exposed to the same influences as business S&T with respect to business cycles and co-production with universities, an aspect never explored. The objective of this project is to analyse the influence of the Great Recession (started in 2008) and, incipiently, the COVID-19 Recession (starting in 2020), on the quality of business and societal S&T, based on the co-production of research results with universities. Achieving the objective will help to clarify the S&T policy recommendations based on the phase of the economic cycle, mitigate its unwanted effects, revalue the university contribution to the co-production of knowledge and claim the quality of societal S&T. In addition, geographical and territorial aspects of the relationship between the economic cycle and the co-production of knowledge will be studied. A database on corporate and societal publications and patents will be used, covering the periods before, during and after the Great Recession, up to the COVID-19 Recession. This will allow the identification of key researchers (authors and inventors) on which to carry out case studies, which will serve to inform the theory. The operational measurement of the quality of S&T results will be carried out through the citations received by publications and patents, distinguishing those generated with universities; and that of growth cycles, through the year-on-year increase in gross domestic product. Through a survey, aspects such as combining local and international interests, opening opportunities for interaction for female researchers, and fostering the motivation and prosocial behaviour of the research staff will be explored.
