Writing a Thesis with an Industry Partner

It can be done, but it is difficult. The basics in a nutshell:

• Only a professor can provide a final thesis topic at a university
• Industry sometimes claims it can, but all it actually can do is to suggest a topic to a professor
• A professor is motivated to have good students help their PhD students with research work
• Smart industry finds a way to align the professor’s interest with their own
• No professor is obliged to take on a topic they don’t care about
• Work on a final thesis must not be paid work (no exam can be paid work)
• If money flows to a student, it must be for something else than the thesis

For a longer explanation, please see this blog post.