The current economic situation, the major international economic crisis of recent times, together with the increase in global competitiveness due, among other reasons, to the phenomenon of globalisation, has increased the demand for product and process innovation. Meanwhile, cuts in government funding for research have led to significant growth in collaborative relationships between companies and research organisations, both nationally and internationally. In this scenario, governments, who are aware that such collaboration could provide countries with a boost to the economy and industry, are establishing policies, incentives and legal means to encourage the creation of links between academic research and technological development. All this has led both the industrial sector and the researcher to consider this type of relationship as an obligation. Indeed, many technological innovations are the result of effective collaboration between industry and research organisations.