This article sets the scene for the exploration of corporate and company developments in the field of the corporate university and related development paradigms. It identifies the driving forces promoting the growth in corporate universities, corporate business schools and other similar styles of intellectual asset management.

There are many emergent issues and differences concerning the style, scope and culture of the emergent management programmes and as a consequence some important changes could occur in the nature of the corporate relationship with providers in the traditional intellectual supply chain.

This article acknowledges the evolutionary stage of these developments and engages with the main subject areas as a platform for a methodology in examining future developments.