Original Innovation through Inter-Organizational Collaboration: Empirical Evidence from University-Focused Alliance Portfolio in China

A university-focused alliance portfolio is a manifestation of industry–university–research cooperation and has become an important path to realize original innovation in science technology. Unlike traditional technological innovation, particularly emphasizes new ideas research areas never covered before. This paper integrates resource-based theory, aims scientifically establish evaluation index system performance from the three dimensions initiate research, technology breakthrough, breakthrough. The work explores how university can select partners collaborative context inter-organizational scientific with multiple subjects for nationwide institutes universities mainland China. empirical results show that resource complementarity significant positive effect on performance. Three typical “2011 project” are selected as post-interview cases enriching evidence. study contributes literature by introducing concept portfolio, further provides implications science-driven studies suggests directions institutes.