Bridging the Gap: How Research Institutions and Scientists Achieve Cross-Channel Communication Amidst Commercial Interests

Currently, the scale of technology transfer from universities and research institutes is expanding, while market attention to early-stage scientific achievements is steadily increasing.

Recently Released"2021 Annual Report on the Transformation of Scientific and Technological Achievements in China (Colleges, Universities, and Research Institutes)"Data shows that in 2020, 3,554 universities and research institutes across ChinaThe number of contract items is 466,882., a year-on-year increase of 7.85%;The total contract amount is 125.61 billion yuan., representing a year-on-year increase of 15.67%.

Despite the strong enthusiasm for innovation and the translation of research findings into practical applications, we must clearly recognize that China’s current rate of converting scientific research outcomes into tangible results is below 10%, with less than 5% achieving true industrialization—leaving a significant gap compared to developed countries in Europe and America.

Why Has the Innovation “Blue Ocean” Failed to Significantly Boost the Conversion Rate of Scientific Research Achievements? There are certainly reasons for this, one of which is how research institutions and scientists can engage in “effective communication” during the innovation and achievement commercialization process—specifically, enabling research institutes to accurately determine the timing for their “entry” and “exit,” thereby achieving a win-win outcome with scientists in the translation of research findings.

So how can “win-win” outcomes be achieved? To address this question, on June 30, VCBeat Orange Fruit Bureau hosted an online panel discussion titled “Research Institutes and Translation,” featuring special guests Dr. Pan Wenzhi, Chief Physician of the Department of Cardiology at Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University; Fang Li, Director of Xiangya Medical Division at Central South University’s Intellectual Property Center; Zhu Juntao, Technology Transfer Manager at Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; and Chen Yang, a seasoned healthcare investor, who discussed《How Research Institutions Can Achieve "Resonance" with Scientists》A roundtable discussion on this topic.

Top row (from left to right): Zhou Mengya, Reporter at VCBeat; Zhu Juntao, Technology Transfer Manager at Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Second row (bottom), from left to right: Fang Li, Director of the Xiangya Medical Department at the Intellectual Property Center of Central South University; Pan Wenzhi, Chief Physician in the Department of Cardiology at Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University; Chen Yang, Senior Healthcare Investor

The following is a transcript of the roundtable discussion, edited for reader convenience,VCBeat Orange BureauEdited the text without altering its original meaning:

Zhou Mengya (Host): The translation of scientific and technological achievements cannot be achieved without the participation of research institutes. So, how is it specifically promoted? In other words, how are research institutions currently helping researchers in terms of innovation and translation?

Zhu Juntao：The Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology positioned itself from the outsetPositioned as a New Type of Research Institution Oriented to Industry Needs, researchersNot only engaged in basic scientific research, but also closely integrated with enterprises.. Our team has accumulated extensive experience in technology transfer and commissioned technical services by collaborating with enterprises to address industry needs.

In the work of translating scientific and technological achievements into practical applications, we serve researchers internally to identify high-quality outcomes with industrial value. Externally, we engage with various collaborative platforms—including enterprises, capital investors, and industrial parks—to facilitate the translation of these achievements into impactful real-world scenarios.

Although the nature of translational work leans toward management, our roleMust be in the role of a service provider. SIAT's Technology Transfer ActivitiesLeveraging Intellectual Property as a Strategic Tool, proactively cultivate and strategically deploy high-quality, high-value intellectual property with promising application prospects, implementing end-to-end management and operations to lay a solid foundation for achievement transformation. In terms of strategy for achievement transformation, the Advanced Institute explores “Integrated Planning, Integrated Design“” mindset, from patent layout before the research team publishes high-quality papers to corporate cooperation and docking for achievement transformation, the transformation department of the Advanced Institute will design the path of achievement transformation at the very beginning, and many key tasks have already been carried out before the “last mile” of achievement transformation.

Fang Li：Central South University is one of the universities in China with the highest amount of funds received from the commercialization of academic achievements in recent years. In terms of participation in the translation of scientific research achievements, Xiangya School of Medicine has inherent advantages and can provide many high-quality resources.

First is the inherent advantage of integrating medicine and engineering.Engineering and medicine are both distinctive disciplines at Central South University, with materials science, engineering, clinical medicine, computer science, and chemistry all ranked within the top 1‰ globally. Furthermore, the presence of the National University of Defense Technology in Changsha enables Xiangya to occupyRegional Advantages of the Strong Integration of Military Industry and Medicine。

In the past two years, Xiangya has also secured three high-quality resources: it was approved as one of the first batch of National Medical Centers in China; selected into the new sequence of National Engineering Research Centers; and approved to establish Hunan’s only provincial-level laboratory—the Furong Laboratory. In particular, the National Engineering Research Center for Individualized Diagnosis and Treatment Technology, led by Executive Vice President Chen Xiang, focuses on fully promoting the integration of medicine and engineering and the translation of medical achievements.

Pan Wenzhi：My work primarily encompasses two areas: serving as a clinician in the Department of Cardiology, and engaging in the translation of scientific research achievements into practical applications. As the Head of Research and Development at the China Cardiovascular Innovation Club, I will share insights on the Club’s involvement in the process of translating research outcomes into real-world applications.

Cardiovascular Physician Innovation Club CollectionIntegrating Innovative Training, Design Exchange, Research Support, and Industry Collaboration, stimulate the innovative potential of clinicians, guide them to actively participate in research on medical technologies and related devices, and further provide them with preclinical and clinical research platforms, ultimately achieving the marketization of domestically produced medical technologies and device products.

The Club regularly hosts annual innovation training programs, inviting renowned domestic and international R&D teams to deliver specialized and systematic courses. It also provides a platform for interactive exchange between clinicians and professional R&D teams, ultimately fostering an innovation value chain that integrates concepts, practice, and outcomes.

Zhou Mengya (Moderator): What challenges do researchers and research institutions face in the process of translating innovative achievements into practical applications? What concerns do investment firms have when participating in projects led by scientific research entities? How should these challenges and concerns be addressed?

Pan Wenzhi：Nowadays, national innovation policies and the overall innovation climate are continuously improving. This applies to scientific researchers, as well as hospitals and universities,First, we must be bold in innovation.

In terms of the transformation system, it is still necessary to continuously promote more flexible and mature mechanisms to regulate behavior and clarify relationships.

Next, at the conceptual level,Insufficient Understanding and Engagement Between Physicians and Enterprises. When communicating with enterprises, physicians should position themselves appropriately and avoid adopting an overly superior attitude simply because they possess original scientific research ideas. For enterprises and engineering personnel,It is also important to trust that physicians will maintain the confidentiality of proprietary technologies.。

Finally, there is the issue of commercialization; only by undergoing the commercialization process can a product achieve robust clinical application. Therefore, dedicated project operation personnel are essential.Advance the project following a commercialized model。

Fang Li：Doctors are not only the source of technological innovation but also possess the deepest understanding of the challenges and pain points in clinical practice. However, they faceHeavy Clinical Workload, andLack of expertise in commercial promotion and operationsdilemma.

Furthermore, the translation of medical achievements requires greater early-stage investment compared to engineering disciplines. However, government entities, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and commercial funds are unable to intervene with investments at the nascent stage of translation or prior to animal studies.Early StageLack of Fundingis a significant obstacle.

Furthermore,There is also a shortage of dedicated personnel for achievement commercialization and corresponding talent incentive mechanisms.. The medical translation market demands a very high level of professional competence from those responsible for outcome commercialization. They need to have a certain understanding of legal, economic, scientific research, and clinical sectors. However, there is currently insufficient motivation among universities and hospitals to cultivate such talent.

Zhu Juntao：From the perspective of discourse systems, researchers face pain points in two dimensions when it comes to the commercialization of research findings.

First dimension: Researchers and social entities such as enterprisesBarriers to Technical CommunicationInvestment institutions often struggle to fully comprehend specialized technical content, while researchers, bound by rigorous academic conventions in their expression and discourse, are reluctant to offer definitive conclusions or comprehensive explanations of their findings. Professionals in technology transfer must therefore build effective communication bridges between researchers and market stakeholders or investors, facilitating mutual understanding through the alignment of their respective discursive frameworks.

The Second Dimension:The Scarcity of Professional Discourse Systems Related to Investment, creating a natural barrier and mistrust in communications between researchers and market entities. Therefore, identifying professional business partners for researchers, fostering their consensus and understanding of basic market conditions such as entrepreneurial cooperation terms, and removing inherent barriers in discourse systems are critical steps in the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements.

Furthermore, regarding research institutes, there is still a long way to go in cultivating talent systems for technology transfer. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that China is continuously exploring and making progress in both policy and practice, whether in the pricing and positioning of talent or in the development of talent pipelines and systems. In three to five years, or even a decade, a cohort of professional technology brokers will emerge in China, capable of professionally addressing the aforementioned challenges faced by researchers in the process of technology transfer.

Chen Yang：Investment institutions primarily focus on two key factors in the early stages of a project: people and product, namelyIntellectual Property Rights Related to Products for Entrepreneurs. This can be simply divided into two scenarios: one is where the founder commits to the startup full-time, with no ambiguous employment-related ties to their previous employer. The intellectual property (IP) rights of the relevant products have been valued and fully acquired through a buyout transfer, which represents the most straightforward scenario. The other is where the founder launches the startup while still employed, making a complete IP transfer unfeasible at the current stage. In this case, it is necessary to establish agreements with the employing institution/entity regarding intellectual property, which involve equity stakes and valuation.

Efficient internal processes are a prerequisite for agile technology transfer.. In the second scenario, whether the institution/entity has an appropriate legal entity to execute the relevant agreements, whether implementation can be sustained after leadership transitions, and how internal approval and signature/seal processes during practical execution (including subsequent business registration changes) may impact the company’s development pace. As external investors, the inability to access the actual internal approval processes of the entity may lead toConcerns Regarding Efficiency。

Regarding the issue of efficiency, I remain optimistic. In recent years, national mechanisms have become increasingly flexible, and government efforts to drive progress have intensified. Some universities have even established specialized foundations for the commercialization of scientific research achievements to bypass traditional approval processes. This concern can be resolved in the future.

Zhou Mengya (Moderator): What innovative measures have research institutes and hospitals taken during the translation process? What are investors’ expectations for the work of technology transfer offices?

Zhu Juntao：Building on routine collaborative engagements, the Technology Transfer Department organizes and invites relevant intellectual property (IP) service providers—such as patent attorneys and experts from IP commercialization agencies—tailored to researchers’ technical fields. These professionals assist researchers in interpreting and analyzing their research outcomes from a market perspective. By conducting patent landscape analyses and evaluating competitors and technological development trajectories, the department effectively maps researchers’ achievements onto corresponding real-world market scenarios.

In fact, the technology transfer department gets involved in the early stages of scientific research to carry out intellectual property layout and explore application scenarios for research outcomes, identify potential partners, seek industrial incubation opportunities and social capital, and ultimately achieve commercialization.Integrated Translation Process. The final commercialization of our achievements is just the tip of the iceberg; we have also conducted extensive translation work “beneath the surface.”

Fang Li:On How to Break Through the Institutional Constraints of Schools and Hospitals: A Reference Model for All—Establishment of the National Engineering Research Center for Personalized Diagnosis and Treatment Technologies. Unlike hospitals and universities, this platform can subsequently become an independent legal entity. It outperforms the traditional model of public institutions in various aspects, including the technology transfer process, fund allocation ratios, and industry collaboration.

Furthermore, Xiangya will subsequently establishAlliance of Managers for the Transformation of Medical Scientific and Technological Achievements in China, benefiting top-tier hospitals and leading medical achievements. Member institutions of the alliance collaborate for mutual benefit to build a comprehensive, life-cycle-oriented medical innovation system. This alliance not only helps universities and hospitals break through traditional institutional constraints by providing early-stage investment and support for projects, but also offers enterprises precise project promotion.

Under the flexible mechanisms of the National Engineering Research Center for Personalized Diagnosis and Treatment Technologies, leveraging alliances to accelerate the translation of medical achievements is a key exploration that Xiangya will pursue in the future.

Chen Yang：Investment institutions hold expectations for the translational departmentRoles and CapabilitiesNeeds and expectations from two aspects.

First, regarding the institutional role, whether it is a hospital, university, or research institute, they merely establish subordinate departments for scientific and technological achievement transformation, without deviating from the essential nature of traditional public institutions. Given the heavy burden of daily operations, it remains questionable whether sufficient energy can be allocated to achieve commercialization of these outcomes. If the institution couldEstablish an independent legal entity, such as setting up a limited liability company., transferring tasks such as agreement signing and process communication to an independent entity operated by dedicated personnel can significantly enhance the flexibility and efficiency of scientific research translation.

In terms of capabilities, there are several expectations for professionals responsible for translation. First,YesMarket Sentiment, value assessment of early-stage commercialization projects is the foundation of everything. Identifying the differentiated value of early-stage technologies and products, as well as their future application scenarios, is a prerequisite for successful translation. Secondly,Ability for Two-Way Communication, namely, the ability to translate language bidirectionally for both researchers and the market. Furthermore, acting as an agent for researchers,Acquire a foundational understanding of legal principles, and when communicating with external organizations, be able to safeguard the overall interests of inventors and their teams at an early stage.

Pan Wenzhi：From a technical perspective, research institutions currently demonstrate four key aspects of “innovation”: First, in terms of systems and mechanisms, they are gradually aligning with market standards. Second, regarding internal capabilities, they are beginning to recruit more specialized professionals into their teams for achieving the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements. Third, in resource linkage, they are proactively seeking and matching market-oriented resources that align with their own research outcomes. Fourth, in terms of engagement formats, they are actively exploring effective approaches, such as roadshows, scientist forums, and project matchmaking events.

Additionally, I would like to share with researchers some insights on how to communicate effectively with investors. In my view, before engaging with investors, researchers should have a clearer understanding of their own scientific achievements—for instance, determining the actual monetary value of the innovation, identifying what type of investment institution is best suited to support its future development, and assessing how much they know about that particular firm. Only by completing this preparatory work can researchers ensure more efficient and productive discussions with investors in subsequent interactions.

The commercialization of scientific research achievements is neither an overnight process nor something that can be accomplished by a single entity; it requires the concerted efforts of scientists, research institutions, technology transfer offices, and investment firms.

The establishment of technology transfer departments has built a communication bridge between scientists and market entities, providing more pathways for the commercialization of research outcomes and fostering the continuous emergence of new innovative solutions. Technology brokers engaged in technology transfer must provide high-quality services to researchers internally, while actively building a translation network connecting various market institutions externally. Only by continuously expanding the linkage of professional capabilities across all stages can promising achievements be deployed in truly suitable scenarios, thereby achieving the ultimate goal of technology transfer.

On this basis, scientists and research institutions, as the primary drivers of innovation, must extend sufficient trust and support to one another to jointly explore and advance translation. Only in this way can we break through the constraints of traditional systems, ensuring that the path of future scientific innovation and achievement translation knows no bounds.