The Readiness Gap: Why Most SMEs Fail at University Collaboration

In this episode of Business Talk, Dr. Martie-Louise Verreynne, Professor of Innovation and Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Queensland, explores a question that lies at the heart of university–business partnerships: not whether small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are willing to collaborate with universities, but whether they are truly ready to. Drawing on her research, Dr. Verreynne introduces the Collaboration Readiness Index, a diagnostic framework that assesses an organisation's preparedness across five key dimensions: leadership, resources, knowledge sharing systems, processes, and shared outcome orientation. Rather than functioning as a pass-fail checklist, the index serves as a structured conversation starter that helps SMEs, universities, policymakers, and intermediaries identify capability gaps and sequence support appropriately. At the core of her argument is a powerful insight: readiness is not a prerequisite that must be fully achieved before collaboration begins, but something that is actively developed through the experience of collaborating, making the journey itself as valuable as the destination. This podcast is brought to you by Global Management Consultancy. Disclaimer: 1. The background music incorporated in this video is the intellectual property of its respective developer and is protected under applicable copyright laws. Notwithstanding that it is a free-to-use version, Business Talk, Global Management Consultancy, and Deepak Bhatt do not own, and expressly do not claim, any rights, title, or interest in or to this music. 2. Dr. Martie-Louise Verreynne shared key insights from her research, “University–business collaboration: A collaboration readiness index and scale”, in an engaging episode of the Business Talk podcast. The uploaded video contains copyrighted content, so changing any graphics, music, or on-screen appearance of the author or host is not allowed.