Enterprising

The enterprising is the one who identifies a business opportunity and organizes the needed resources to put it in action.

In the biotechnology area it is usually the researcher who, in the development of his research, notices the possible applications of the results to products or services, thus he decides to set up a company.

This personal initiative, which is not in general stimulated in our country, has an important role in the scientific and social-economic development because of the following: it creates economic benefits for the researcher and his group allowing them to research more and in a better way; it offers careers for the researchers; it generates economic benefit to the business regional and national network creating in turn more public money to invest in science; and it gives the scientific discoveries an exit, so they can reach society for people to take advantage of them.

Although this is the generalized developed model, we should notice there are some differences and characteristics depending on several ways of action:

Firs of all, it is essential to apply for the patent of the realized researches, so it is indispensable NOT to announce the results, included the publications in journals, magazines, seminaries, speeches, mails… before this application. To help the researcher in this task he has to cooperate strongly with the available OTRI (Research Results Transfers Office) or OTT (Technology Transfer Office).

You have to realize that scientists do not usually have business knowledge, so in this business activity it is important for them to meet area’s experts and have a strong business plan. That is why, more and more, the scientific-business profile is demanded (those who can speak both languages).

On the other hand, there are initiatives which help the researchers to check if the R+D results could have a commercial exit and then to develop a business plan (it is essential to check that results will cover a society’s requirement and that there is sufficient market to cover the expenses enough). That is the case of Spain Genome, or the private services like the biotechnology consultant’s office.

In addition, we should notice the fact that you do not always have to create a company from R+D’s results: once you have applied for the patent, it is possible to licence it to a company which has the capacity and resources to take advantage of this R+D result, so it is a way to finance the public research system without personal risk. Therefore, once you have got the patent, it is the OTRI´s job to search for a company interested in this technology.

Noticed that the product has commercial exit, the next step is to create the company. For that purpose there are guides, books and supporting places; regional, national and European funding; also the possibility of creating projects in prepared places and with benefits to the high technology’s enterprising: enterprise bioincubators and industrial parks.

We have to notice that, in many occasions, the development of the enterprising project can carry important economics expenses (it can differs depending on the product or service), because in many cases the benefits can be very high but within a medium-large period. Because of this, the researchers do not always have the needed economic resources. In those cases you have to turn to the financials means: the 3F, bank loans, venture capitals, business angels...