This item was submitted to Loughborough's Research Repository by the author. Items in Figshare are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated. The article explores university-industry relationships and open innovation, proposing a framework to distinguish these relationships from other mechanisms like technology transfer or human mobility. It analyzes practices such as collaborative research, university-industry research centres, contract research, and academic consulting, highlighting that these relationships are widely practiced across industries and scientific disciplines. While most research focuses on the effects of university-industry links on innovation-specific variables like patents or firm innovativeness, the organisational dynamics of these relationships remain under-researched. The article presents a research agenda addressing two main areas: search and match processes between universities and firms, and the organisation and management of collaborative relationships. It also discusses the diverse nature of university-industry links, including various 'channels' or 'mechanisms' for knowledge exchange. The article concludes that relationship-based mechanisms are more relevant to industrial R&D than commercial activities of universities, and that university-industry relationships contribute to industrial innovation beyond the supply of scientific inventions and technology breakthroughs. The article also highlights the importance of relationship-based mechanisms in various sectors and the need for further research on the impact of university-industry relationships on firm innovativeness.This item was submitted to Loughborough's Research Repository by the author. Items in Figshare are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated. The article explores university-industry relationships and open innovation, proposing a framework to distinguish these relationships from other mechanisms like technology transfer or human mobility. It analyzes practices such as collaborative research, university-industry research centres, contract research, and academic consulting, highlighting that these relationships are widely practiced across industries and scientific disciplines. While most research focuses on the effects of university-industry links on innovation-specific variables like patents or firm innovativeness, the organisational dynamics of these relationships remain under-researched. The article presents a research agenda addressing two main areas: search and match processes between universities and firms, and the organisation and management of collaborative relationships. It also discusses the diverse nature of university-industry links, including various 'channels' or 'mechanisms' for knowledge exchange. The article concludes that relationship-based mechanisms are more relevant to industrial R&D than commercial activities of universities, and that university-industry relationships contribute to industrial innovation beyond the supply of scientific inventions and technology breakthroughs. The article also highlights the importance of relationship-based mechanisms in various sectors and the need for further research on the impact of university-industry relationships on firm innovativeness.