SHAPING RELATIONS BETWEEN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS AND THE ENTERPRISE WORLD IN THE AGE OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Contemporary economy and societies are characterised by highly dynamic growth processes, which impact changes in the relationships between entities representing various sectors, driven chiefly by innovation in its broadest sense of the notion. The key players in the innovation development process - companies, enterprises and universities - keep changing and opening up to their surroundings by fostering ever-tighter cooperation. At the same time, the emergence of new challenges associated with the digital transformation process that create new platforms and mechanisms is being witnessed, which underpin this cooperation. The aim of this article is to outline the main aspects of the relationship between universities and the business sector in the context of digital transformation processes. The article presents selected results of a study conducted with the participation of representatives of the business sector, which identifies factors and determinants of university-business relations. The analysis covered the current state of cooperation, determinants affecting the strength and scope of relations between universities and enterprises, as well as directions of intensification of cooperation postulated by entrepreneurs. Moreover, entrepreneurs' interest in using digital tools, including the context of starting cooperation with universities as well, was also examined.