Adapting to the World of Commercialization

This chapter delves into the cultural divide between academic research and commercialization. To be successful in tech transfer, researchers must understand the need to adapt to new mindsets and to learn from others with legal and business experience. The key differences between the academic culture and one that places primacy on a market-driven mindset are described, and the skills needed for team-based translation of research to the marketplace are compared and contrasted. Reward systems are incongruent between the two cultures, and understanding the inherent tension between academic and market-driven value systems is important for researchers and policymakers alike.