Transdisciplinary research partnerships with business and civil society in the North-South context. Opportunities and risks for researchers and funding institutions in Switzerland

This publication analyses opportunities and risks of transdisciplinary research partnerships with business and civil society in the North-South context. Such partnerships are in many cases crucial for impactful research and need to be implemented cautious and strategic. Well implemented partnerships enhance the practical relevance of research and the uptake of results, they provide access to additional data and networks but they also entail the risk of undermining scientific rigour and independence, and they increase the complexity of a research project and power-imbalances. This analysis provides some practical information and orientation for researchers and funding institutions in Switzerland on these opportunities and risks. The publication is the result of a literature review and a stakeholder dialogue with researchers and research-funders.