The necessary training for scientists to transform entrepreneurs is indispensable

 Scientists and entrepreneurs, with different identities and different circumstances, are separated by vast gaps.

"The advantage of scientists is that they have cutting-edge technology, and the technical threshold for starting a business is naturally high, and it is difficult to follow suit. Scientists have sharpened their swords for ten years. They have strong learning ability and high quality, and they are also very hard-working." Science and Technology Talent Exchange Development Service Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology Niu Ping, director of the Development Services Division, has been dealing with "technological entrepreneurs" for many years, and she is well aware of the advantages of this group.

"But these advantages may turn into disadvantages." Niu Ping said, for example, perseverance, thinking change is more difficult, it is easy to replace product thinking with technical thinking; technology has specialization, it is easy to ignore the overall situation. Another example is that after getting used to the discourse system of the academy, scientists have to learn from the beginning the methods of dealing with lower-level employees.

All of these require education in entrepreneurial thinking.

Wu Lebin, the head of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Science and Technology Achievements Transformation Fund of Funds and chairman of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Venture Capital Management Co., Ltd., said that training for scientists is hidden in the long-term education system, from kindergartens to scientific research institutes, and cultivates comprehensive and healthy people. Back to the present, the quicker way to achieve results is training, so that scientists learn to swim first, and then jump into the sea of ​​commerce.

In his view, the business and investment communities can take part of the responsibility to help scientists "escape pits", "For example, we can train scientists in entrepreneurial thinking. Investors must have this vision, judge what they lack, and help him equip them with assistants and assistants. team."

Fan Dongrui, the chairman of Zhongke Ruixin, has been rooted in the chip industry for 20 years and has been in business for more than 6 years. "The most important thing for newly developed technologies is the actual application scenario. It is very difficult to get the first opportunity to apply. And the design of core chips requires supporting facilities. The software ecosystem is more difficult to be applied," he recalled.

He is also an outstanding student in the sixth phase of the "Technology Innovation CEO Training Camp" of the Science and Technology Talent Exchange and Development Service Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology. This training is specifically designed for the transformation of scientific researchers into technology entrepreneurs. Most of the students are like him. The "Gen Zhengmiaohong" scientific research personnel participate in the training, not only to learn from teachers in the fields of business management, marketing, etc., but also a valuable opportunity to communicate with peers who are struggling on the road to entrepreneurship. In his view, technology-based teams usually have shortcomings in market development capabilities, while at the same time they are persistent in technology and reject non-technical personnel. The introduction and running-in of the team is a difficult and risky process. No matter how strong the person is, the destructive power may be as great."

Founded in 2017, Zhongke Wenge is a start-up that was incubated at the Institute of Automation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, focusing on big data and artificial intelligence. It has just completed a new round of 200 million yuan in financing. Chairman Wang Lei found that the tall technical customers in the laboratory may not pay the bill. What companies have to do is to understand customer needs and find value points for customers. "The management model of the research group is not suitable for corporate management. It manages a family of hundreds of people. The company is a course and we need to learn from scratch."

Many scientists also found that they were not suitable for starting a business, and after sending out the technology, they turned back to the ivory tower.

As Fan Dongrui said, there are many forks in the road to the industrialization of scientific and technological achievements, and there is no lack of divergent paths. You must stick to your own path. "Always strengthen the service of the country and persistence in innovation as a lasting belief. Although it is not easy to climb the slope, it is itself. It’s the color that a business should have. You won’t regret it after struggling.”