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Career overview
Bob took a degree in chemistry followed by a PhD in
physical chemistry at the University of Salford in the
UK and later obtained an MBA from the University of
Dundee with a dissertation examining the motivation of
academics in research. He has held several positions in
industry and commercial organisations in a wide range of
fields from research scientist, marketing and strategic
planning prior to establishing one of the first
Technology Transfer Offices (TTO’s) in the UK at Dundee
in 1988. He has been active in technology transfer for
20 years, establishing three TTO’s: Dundee, Edinburgh
and more lately Leiden, where he has been working for
the past two years. He has helped establish over 60
spin-off companies and been responsible for several
hundred license agreements.
Career choices
There was no specific plan to the various career moves
that Bob made. However, each represented a significant
new challenge where he could use some of the experience
gained in previous positions to add value to the new
organisation/position he was moving to. The challenge in
moving from a laboratory science background to the newly
created activity of technology transfer, was significant
in terms of putting into place new structures, creating
a change in academic attitude and negotiating with
industry, in a way in which industry at the time had not
been used to dealing with the university sector. The
move to the Netherlands two years ago was prompted by
the opportunity to replicate the successes achieved in
the UK with two leading institutions, Leiden University
and Leiden University en Leiden University Medical
Center.
Valorisation – why is it important?
Research without exposure of the results to the wider
community has little or no value. This is how science
progresses and this is why publication of academic
research is so important. However, of almost equal
importance is to be able to translate the research
output to the market place – this is commercialisation.
Unless this takes place, then no clinical use can be
made from the research work which has been taking place,
no economic benefit can be enjoyed by society and it
becomes increasingly difficult for national government
and its agencies to continue to fund research at the
current level. Effective commercialisation is not in
conflict with academic publications nor with academic
research. Rather, they are synergistic. |
