A strong background in science and technology is crucial for students who want to become academic research scientists.
But there are many other jobs for budding scientists that also need extra business-oriented skills.
For instance, studentscan becomethe engine of biotechnology incubators looking into agriculture or food innovations.
Or they could be the employees of new start-up ventures dealing with energy challenges.
First, though, students need to be taught how to turn scientific innovations into business opportunities.
This includes problem-solving, teamwork, communications, management and project management and technical skills.
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Countries likeMalaysiaandSingaporehave done a good job of addressing this research-commercialisation gap.
And this has helped to propel their development.
Universities can play a key role in this.
They can design courses to help bridge the gap between pure science and commercial research and development.
Science students primary focus should still be on research.
But getting a brief introduction into entrepreneurship will improve their competitiveness in the job market.
Graduates from biotechnology entrepreneurship programsin particularare in high demand.
Here theyre encouraged to develop a business idea based on biotechnology.
This is supported by entrepreneurs and biotech industry experts who share their experiences.
They teach students about industrial demands, and help them with financial planning.
They also show them how to write a final business plan.
But many universities willface hurdlesin rolling programs like this out as part of their curricula.
This is partly because bio-entrepreneurship education falls between the crack of science and business.
African universities must therefore actively attempt to establish these links with industry.
This might also be true for other universities.
Universities can possibly address this incentive problem for academics by recognizing and rewarding these practices.
This institutional commitment and resource support is also important.
There are a few other ideas, though, which may be more realistic.
A good example of this is theYES schememanaged by the University of Nottingham in the UK.
Another option might be online courses.
The organization is made up of scientists and academic institutions dedicated to supporting bio-enterprise programs around the world.
Finally, internships are an integral part of bio-entrepreneurship training.
For degrees that fall under this, a year-long internship activity is usually included in the training.
