Managing Goliaths

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) gained popularity as the go-to solution for translational problems, along the feel-good philosophy that a problem shared is a problem halved. But even institutions that frequently use them have come to recognize that aligning stakeholder prerogatives and designing effective management structures are key to getting results, whether there are two partners or a dozen.

That reality is giving organizations pause, as they reconsider strategies for using the partnerships to accelerate translation. Indeed, BioCentury’s sixth annual analysis shows PPP formation dropped to its lowest level in 2016 since tracking began (see “PPP Decline”). ...