Purpose: This study examined academic motives to enter university-industry collaboration (UIC) and how they affect collaboration performance. Given that UIC performance is context-dependent, we also explored the moderating role of relationship governance. Design/methodology/approach: The study population was academics working at a public research university while collaborating with industry. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey. The measurement items were adapted from previous studies. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted using IBM SPSS statistics 26 (SPSS 26). This study utilized a hierarchical moderated regression analysis to examine the research model. Findings: The results indicated that government and institutional policies and knowledge generation and dissemination are critical indicators of necessity that motivate academics to enter UIC and positively influence performance outcomes. Different governance mechanisms also play varying roles in the relationship between motivation and UIC performance. Practical implications: Institutional programs designed to encourage academics to collaborate with industry should consider the types of academic motivation and carefully manage collaboration efficiency using various kinds of relationship governance. Originality/value: This study contributes to existing knowledge by determining how different relationship governance mechanisms moderate the relationship between academic motivation and collaboration performance.