From insulin to the Internet The scientific research of the past has been the foundation of many of our most significant technological advancements. It’s logical, therefore that business and science would work together because, after all, companies require new technologies in order to survive, while scientists benefit from commercialization of their discoveries.
But this is not always the situation. Certain inventions in science are not commercialized. One reason could be that it has to do with how the credit for inventions is allocated. For example, a scientist may include their technician as a coinventor, but this doesn’t necessarily reflect the actual contribution each contributed to the research that led to the discovery. The different goals and attitudes that prevent free exchange of ideas are more important. For instance, business talks about sustainable profits. Science on the other hand, looks at sustainability as a level which doesn’t lead to over-exploitation of natural resources.
The key to the achievement of business and science is collaboration. Business and scientists must be able to communicate in each other’s language, listen to their concerns, and discover innovative ways to bridge this gap.
Fortunately, top universities such as Woxsen offer integrated business and science programs that allow students to have the best of both worlds. In these programs, students concentrate on a specific subject area and take classes that are part of the general management curriculum. These programs equip students with the necessary skills to be successful in a variety of business fields, such as intellectual property, mutual funds, technical sales and many more.