Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore significant historical changes, legislation and policy in the UK and USA from the 1960s to present day relating to university-industry relationships.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a review of papers, reports and policy documents from the UK and USA drawing comparisons of university-industry relations.

Findings – The paper finds that many UK and USA universities were originally rooted in their communities with strong links to local industries. This culture has persisted and been strengthened through legislation in the USA but changes in UK policy have resulted in reduced industry links.

Research limitations/implications – The paper draws on secondary sources. Future research will explore more directly effects of changes in UK universities on university-industry interactions.

Practical implications – In recent years there has been an increasing UK government focus on university-industry links. The paper seeks to show that the success of technology transfer in the USA has deeper contextual sources, which may not be easily reproduced in the UK. The history and culture of UK universities presents a barrier to current knowledge transfer initiatives.

Originality/value – Technology transfer in the UK and USA have been compared previously, but not set in the context of the history of the university sector. This has implications for current policy initiatives from UK government agencies seeking to develop university technology as a source of innovation for industry.