The sooner, the better

In my opinion, the sooner a project can move away from academia, the better. Today, TTOs (Technology Transfer Offices) at hospitals and research centers don't have this principle in mind. They are more focused on controlling and exploiting themselves the intellectual property or whatever innovation arises in the institution. They don't look at the outside world (VCs, angel investors, incubators...). This is clearly wrong.

Early transfer should be the buzz word nowadays, and TTO's should focus more on how to extract value from initiatives rather than how to control them.

Why do we have start-ups?

Amazing question. I heard it yesterday, and at first I thought it was nonsense, but...

Think about it... If we have large healthcare companies that know where healthcare is going, that have the financial muscle they need to create things, that have the manpower and the positioning they need to launch new products and services... then why we do have start-ups?

Well, we do have healthcare start-ups because large companies have vested interests, they have things to protect, and therefore they don't really have the pressure to innovate. Entrepreneurs find opportunities in disruption, and disruption is precisely what incumbents don't want to hear about!