Competition can help spur research activity and contribute to a thriving economy, but too much of it can stifle the collaborative spirit that helps to drive innovation. This week's 3-Minute Read explores the benefits and challenges of competition between organizations and how it impacts innovation. See the full 3-Minute Read: https://lnkd.in/eCZW4KEd
Che Connon
4h
Insightful, I've found relationships more transparent in business than in academia. In business all parties agree that ultimately it's about money, so it's clear. In academia it's a lot less clear.
Director, Academic Liaison
2dGetting the balance between the competition for funding between academics and the need and desire to collaborate is always tricky. I can remember a former colleague at GSK who collaborated successfully for many years with a leading university and, together, they published several high impact papers. The relationship developed so well that my colleague, the industrial scientist, got a secondment to the university to work with his academic collaborators. At this point the relationship changed and became less productive as the industrial scientist was now fishing in the same pool for research funding as his academic collaborators. The relationship soured somewhat and was less productive. In my opinion, industrial scientists are more likely to share their basic research, contacts and networks than their academic counterparts. If, as a scientist, you are open and transparent when collaborating then other groups will want to collaborate with you.