Beyond Discovery: Moving Academic Research to the Market

Academic discoveries account for some of the most successful products in the marketplace, from pharmaceutical blockbusters like Lyrica® to household names like Gatorade™. Yet few researchers understand the process of technology transfer or the various pathways for commercialization available to them.

Beyond Discovery is the ultimate guide for researchers interested in moving their inventions from the laboratory to the marketplace. Focusing particularly on scientists and engineers, this volume demystifies the process of commercialization by offering clarity on key complex topics, including technology transfer, intellectual property, and the uneven landscape for inventors of different genders and ethnicities. The authors describe how academics must adapt their thinking and provide numerous best practices for advancing through this unfamiliar and demanding terrain, with profiles of current scientists and engineers to illustrate how academic inventions have translated to commercial success. Beyond Discovery also offers realistic recommendations to academic institutions for engaging their researchers in the commercialization enterprise.

Comprehensive and pragmatic, Beyond Discovery illustrates how commercialization can deepen the impact of academic research and offers seasoned advice for each step in the technology transfer process.

Jean E. Schelhorn, PhD, is Director of Commercialization and Industry Collaborations for the College of Veterinary Medicine at The Ohio State University. Formerly, Dr. Schelhorn held executive positions at Owens Corning, the Battelle Memorial Institute, and the Technology Licensing and Commercialization office at The Ohio State University. She has launched numerous products into the market, she is an inventor on twelve US-issued patents and numerous associated foreign patents, and supports inventors and entrepreneurs world-wide.

Joan M. Herbers, PhD, is Professor and Dean Emeritus at the Ohio State University, Co-Principal Investigator of the Advance Resource Coordination Network Project, and former President of the Association for Women in Science. In mid-career, Dr. Herbers pivoted from studying social insects to developing expertise on gender issues in science. She led a project at Ohio State which developed the first program specifically targeting women scientists interested in commercialization.