Within the technological research and development processes carried out by universities, the technological proof of concept and its validation under market conditions is an essential step in the transition from a research result to a commercial application, in which the involvement of companies It is crucial, from this perspective some elements are proposed for universities to encourage industry participation at this stage:
– Invite businessmen to periodic meetings where they are made aware of the research and emerging/disruptive technologies that researchers are working on.
– Engage with the industry in establishing new sector standards.
– Submit copies of white papers and working documents, as well as technical laboratory reports.
– Dialogue and work to establish thematic lines of co-investment, to support the maturation of technologies that emerged in university settings, as well as the execution of specific industrial scaling projects that support technology transfer.
– Enable shaping of scientific-technological networks with the participation of university researchers in the industry.
– Strengthen infrastructure and equipment for R&D&I in universities through joint investments in equipment for laboratories and research centers, to involve the industry in the generation of inventions that solve existing needs.
– Create consortia with multiple companies that sponsor applied research in a specific field of interest.
Expanding the understanding of the social value of innovation implies enhancing the role of researchers and inventors, who can identify needs, originate ideas and seek to validate their solutions; but it also means extending the idea of innovation as a synthesis between need and technical opportunity to the entire society. This makes it easier for companies, faced with the need to solve technical and market problems, to be able to establish dialogues with those who have complementary knowledge, in order to build joint solutions, capable of developing a comprehensive ecosystem that promotes innovation in Mexico.
The purpose is for all Mexicans to be beneficiaries of the scientific and technological development generated by their universities; the dialogue with the business sector has to be deep and consistent.
____
Editor’s note: Juan Alberto González Piñón is Corporate Director of Innovation and Transfer at the Universidad Panamericana. follow him on LinkedIn . The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author.
Find more information about this and other topics in the Opinion channel