From Bench to Business

 How should scientists at the Department of Clinical Science improve innovation of their research? This was the topic of one of the panel debates at the strategy meeting last week with panelists from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH), Bergen technology transfer office (BTO) and the Department , and with research group leaders in the audience. Prime Minister Erna Solberg has previously said that our country needs more suppliers to the National budget – not more companies and institutions living on the National budget. She asked for more innovation once again in her New Year speech where she also pointed to BerGenBio as a successful example of research-driven innovation at our faculty.
K2 aims to increase innovation in the present strategy period, and point number one is to establish an innovation strategy for K2 this Spring.
I will head an advisory group for the innovation strategy which subsequently will be discussed at the Department Board in the Spring. I therefore  ask for input from you, both to the group’s composition and to the elements we should include in this strategy. As an example I already received a proposition of speed-dates between researchers at the Department and economists at NHH. The proposed idea was to pair scientists with entrepreneurs to increase the success rate. Prof. Tor Andreassen at NHH pointed to the entrepeneurship challenges at the strategy seminar: The entrepreneur should, in addition to developing increased customer and marketing understanding and investor relations also withstand being poor, work 80-hour weeks, travel up to 200 travel days, make difficult decisions, live with risk, move quickly and adapt continuously. Since researchers also lead or participate actively in a research group, we certainly require good helpers on the team if we also aim for innovation. Perhaps the way to go may be to build a bridge between K2 and the environments in Sandviken – or with other environments in Bergen aimed at innovation, including Innovation Norway and the new Mohn Center for Innovation and Regional Development at the Bergen University College.

I would like to hear from you if you have input.

 Helge