Industry needs research that will answer its’ questions. What industry needs is research that is appropriate to solve the problem at hand, or exploit the opportunity recognised.
Much is written about the divide between industry and academia, especially when it comes to investment of public funds. Should funding should be provided for pure research, or for applied research?
This is a common, ongoing dichotomy in many debates over research, particularly that funded from the public purse. The reality, however, is that this debate is based on the erroneous assumption that industry benefits only from applied research, and that research directed at assisting industry must be applied.