I'm guessing the state research institute got some funding and visibility ('dear tax payer or high-level admin that cares about public image of state research,

I'm guessing the state research institute got some funding and visibility ('dear tax payer or high-level admin that cares about public image of state research, what you paid for - our research on topic X - for Y years is now being used in industry, see?') and that's what makes/helps them run so they probably also got some things out of this.