Pictures of the Future Spring 2004
Guest Editorial
Optimizing the Interface between Science and Business
Walter Kröll
Prof. Dr. Walter Kröll is the President of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers and a member of the Supervisory Board of Siemens AG
Spring 2004. A new innovation offensive is in full swing in Germany. It can be attributed to the rediscovery of a connection that holds true all over the world—that a prosperous future is possible only on the basis of economic growth, and that innovations are vital to growth. But how can we generate more innovations? Most of those involved in this process emphasize the significance of the political, legal and financial context of innovation, the necessity of a climate that promotes and rewards innovation, and the need to develop a culture of innovation throughout society as a whole.
What contribution can science make to the process? An evaluation of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers by some 250 leading international experts has revealed that a large number of its working groups are among the absolute international elite when it comes to scientific quality and originality. There is no doubt that working groups of this caliber also exist in universities and other research institutions. The challenge now is to incorporate them more effectively into the complex process of innovation. In my opinion, two points must be kept in mind here.
Point 1: All research activities should be more strongly oriented toward innovation, in line with a statement by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who said, “As soon as I learn something new, I immediately consider whether something can be mined from it that would benefit our lives.” In the realm of science, innovation must not be regarded as a mere byproduct or spin-off of scientific knowledge. The preliminary results of basic and long-term research must be systematically examined for their innovation potential and exploited for innovative applications. In this issue of Pictures of the Future, we present a cooperative project involving a Helmholtz Center, the Society for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt, and Siemens Medical Solutions (Particle Therapy) aimed at introducing an innovative radiation treatment for cancer patients into hospital practice. That’s an exemplary use of knowledge gained from basic research to produce a marketable innovation.
Point 2: The interface between science and business must be optimized. On the basis of future scenarios, such as those presented by Siemens in Pictures of the Future, both sides should engage in strategic dialogue to develop guiding concepts and pursue them in their respective areas of responsibility. To this end, we need new innovation partnerships between scientific institutes and commercial enterprises—partnerships that go beyond the traditional forms of licence agreements, commissioned research and cooperative projects. These partnerships will be joint ventures for innovation, in which the partners invest without giving up their own identity, share the risks, and partake of the profits. There’s no lack of starting points. You’ll find many of them just by browsing through the pages of this magazine. Solutions for people living in megacities, the sustainable use of raw materials and energy sources, and the trend toward the knowledge society—these are also some of the themes being addressed by the Helmholtz Association in its role as a key innovation partner for the business sector.