How can researchers create business relations? Thirty-five young researchers learned the answer to that question at a workshop on Collaboration Planning hosted by Science for Society with guests from Novo Nordisk.

2017.10.04 | Signe Schou

Photo: AU, Kommunikation & Presse

Planning a research collaboration with industry often poses a number of challenges, but at AU, you can get assistance. Science for Society holds workshops, among other things, to provide young researchers with knowledge about how people work in innovation projects.

“Businesses and researchers have very different perceptions of a successful collaboration, and it’s important that they understand each other for an innovation partnership to succeed. Fortunately, it’s a skill set you can learn, and young researchers can benefit from learning it,” says Eoin Galligan, business developer at Corporate Relations and Technology Transfer at AU, and speaker at the workshop.

Specific tools

The workshop gave the attendees specific tools to plan the collaboration process with a business, among other things the relationship-building canvas tool. It helps to break down the process into specific activities and define success criteria for the meeting with a business.

The researchers also receive a checklist, so that they know which questions to focus on already at an early stage of the process. For example, within which business area will the research results be used? Who owns the results? When can the researchers publish their results?

All these aspects should be discussed thoroughly before the parties can prepare a collaboration plan that defines the framework for the collaboration. Corporate Relations and Technology Transfer offers assistance throughout the process.

An attendee talks about the relevance of the workshop.

Other attendees say:

“The workshop has given me an understanding of how to approach an external collaboration – in addition to some specific tools.” Nick Laursen, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics.

“I’ve gained an overview of what you need to be aware of. Before, it was a bit unclear to me, but here it’s well-structured. It’s very much a question of learning by doing, and it’s useful to have a framework when you’re doing it for the first time.” Tinna Bjørk Aradóttir, industrial PhD student, DTU & Novo Nordisk.

“It has given me a little push, for example if I want to find my next project after my PhD. I’ve gained an insight into how much time and effort it takes to create a project.” Mette Harboe, PhD student, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics.