Science Business Executive

The things I talk about on social media are what I practice every day. Both in my Master's Degree and postgraduate studies, as well as in my work and my company. Therefore, I speak with authority.

One thing I observe increasingly about innovation is that what holds real value for society and addresses major problems usually stems from scientific knowledge. The numbers show a significant discrepancy between patent filings and technology transfer. This issue is not unique to Brazil but is common in many countries around the world, especially in South America. There are many barriers to transferring this knowledge from universities to industries and companies.

In my research and work experience, I have found that most people involved in this process do not have the appropriate competencies for what they are doing. There is a skills gap that remains unaddressed, particularly the experience needed to engage with the complete triple helix: universities, industries, and governments. It is someone with proficiency in all three helices, with the technical capacity to navigate them equally, and the ability to dialogue, negotiate, and resolve conflicts, conversing on equal footing with researchers, entrepreneurs, and public agents, who can achieve the much-desired collaboration for knowledge and technology transfer.

It is not effective to continue as we do today, where specialists in each helix negotiate among themselves. This process is rarely applied with an intermediary who can navigate all three helices effectively. We urgently need to implement a standard of necessary competencies in this model, certify as many people as possible, compensate them appropriately, and simply let them do the correct work. People with the right skills will take responsibility for overcoming all the barriers we face in this circuit. This is happening in countries like England, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, and others.

I like to call this professional the Science Business Executive. They encompass the characteristics of a technology transfer manager, an innovation intermediary, an industry advisor, and someone with public sector knowledge. Research the ATTP (The Alliance of Technology Transfer Professionals) , and a #RTTP certification standard, a global alliance of knowledge transfer professionals. Learn about how these professionals are driving real innovations worldwide. We need to adopt this model to improve our innovation indices. This is what I believe in and what I am striving to achieve.