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For this month's Faculty Spotlight, we interviewed Distinguished Professor and Chair Hanspeter Schaub (Aerospace Engineering), who serves as the LASP Senior Associate for Engineering Research and Education, and the Director of the Autonomous Vehicle Systems Laboratory.

Partnership journey

IRP: We’ve really appreciated the way you’ve engaged with industry over time—could you share a bit about how those relationships have developed for you, and what’s worked well along the way? ÌýWhere have you learned the most of how to work with industry?

Hanspeter Schaub

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Collaborate to innovate

Through access to specialized expertise, facilities and talent, industry partners can accelerate discovery, de-risk early-stage work and advance ideas that might otherwise sit outside internal bandwidth. For faculty, these collaborations often support students, strengthen proposals and create opportunities to test ideas beyond the lab—while preserving academic rigor and independence.Ìý

Connect with the Industry Research Partnerships team to learn more.Ìý

Professor Schaub: My engagement with industry has evolved steadily throughout my career beginning as early as being a doctoral student and support a grant with Sandia National Labs. I ended up working at Sandia for four years, where I got to work with several industrial partners and get to know their way of working and their inherent constraints. As an assistant professor, most of my interactions were through government-sponsored research programs, where industry partners were part of larger collaborative teams. As my academic research program matured and our laboratory developed recognized expertise in astrodynamics, spacecraft autonomy, guidance and control, and spacecraft simulation, companies increasingly began directly approaching my lab specifically to tackle challenging technical problems.

What has worked best over the years is treating industry relationships as long-term partnerships rather than individual projects. The most successful collaborations are those where both sides are genuinely invested in solving important problems together. Industry gains access to new ideas, analytical tools, and emerging talent, while we gain insight into real mission needs and operational constraints. Further, it is helpful for academia to be considered with regard to industry constraints and their timelines. I turn down several projects a year where I feel the collaboration is not synergistic. Ìý

I learned the most about working effectively with industry by listening carefully to what problems organizations were actually trying to solve. Academic researchers often begin with an interesting technical question; industry typically begins with a mission need. The most productive partnerships occur when those perspectives align. Over time I have learned that understanding schedules, risk tolerance, operational realities, and business drivers is just as important as understanding the technical problem itself.

Value to your work

IRP: From your perspective, how have these partnerships contributed to your research or lab—whether through new ideas, resources or different types of problems to work on? ÌýAlso, from your recent role as Chair, how have you seen partnerships change or improve the department's manner of looking at research?

Professor Schaub: Industry partnerships have had a profound impact on both my academic research program and the broader department. They consistently expose us to problems that are relevant and challenging, but also fundable by government agencies. Many of our most impactful research directions originated from industry conversations where a company described a challenge that existing methods could not adequately address.

These partnerships have also provided access to mission data, operational perspectives, software validation opportunities, and funding that allows us to pursue ambitious research questions. For example, our work in spacecraft autonomy, on-orbit servicing, formation flying and spacecraft simulation has benefited tremendously from close engagement with practitioners who are developing and operating real systems.

As Chair, I have also seen how industry partnerships can positively influence a department’s research culture. Rather than viewing research solely through the lens of academic publications, faculty increasingly consider pathways to industry impact, technology transition and workforce development. Strong partnerships help ensure that our research remains relevant while still maintaining the fundamental innovation that universities are uniquely positioned to provide.

Student experience

IRP: We’re especially interested in the student side—how have these industry-connected projects shaped the experience for your students in terms of skills, exposure or confidence working on real-world challenges?Ìý

Professor Roncone: The student benefits are often the most rewarding aspect of these partnerships. Industry-connected projects expose students to real engineering challenges that do not come with textbook solutions. They learn how to work within constraints, communicate with stakeholders, understand requirements, and balance technical excellence with practical implementation.

Students gain experience presenting their work to professional audiences, participating in technical reviews, and collaborating with engineers who are actively developing aerospace systems. These experiences help them understand how engineering decisions are made in practice and give them confidence that they can contribute meaningfully to important programs. Further, students treat academia as "not real world" and industry as "real world." ÌýThus, having good industry partners who can reinforce the mentoring I'm doing has been very helpful. Once the industry partner mentions a concept I have discussed, it immediately carries more weight and the student is more likely to follow this advice.

I have found that students who participate in these collaborations develop a stronger sense of professional identity. They begin to see themselves not only as graduate students but also as contributors to the aerospace community.

Student outcomes

IRP: Have you seen any examples where this kind of engagement has opened doors for students—whether in career paths, collaborations or other opportunities?

Professor Roncone: I have seen countless examples of industry engagement opening doors for students. Many have secured internships, fellowships and full-time positions through relationships established during collaborative projects. Others have gone on to leadership positions within aerospace companies, government laboratories and research organizations. ÌýSome have even founded their own space companies. Ìý

One of the aspects I am most proud of is seeing former students become technical leaders who continue to collaborate with the university years later. In many cases, today’s industry partner is a former student who once worked on these projects in our laboratory. That creates a virtuous cycle where partnerships help train students, and those students later help build new partnerships.

Beyond employment outcomes, students often develop professional networks, mentorship relationships, and collaborative opportunities that continue throughout their careers. Those long-term connections can be just as valuable as any single job opportunity.

Reflections and advice for faculty

IRP: Any other reflections or advice you would share with other CU faculty who are starting to explore industry partnerships?

Professor Roncone: Start by building relationships rather than pursuing funding opportunities. Take time to understand the organization’s goals, challenges and culture. The strongest collaborations are built on trust and shared interests.

It is also important to recognize the complementary strengths of universities and industry. Universities excel at long-term thinking, fundamental innovation, and educating the next generation of engineers. Industry excels at implementation, operational experience, and delivering systems that create impact. Neither can fully replace the other.

Finally, I would encourage faculty to view industry engagement not as a distraction from academic research, but as a way to enrich it. Some of the most meaningful and impactful research questions arise directly from conversations with practitioners who are working at the forefront of their field. When done well, industry partnerships can simultaneously advance scholarship, enhance student education and contribute to technological innovation.