BOLDNESS AND CONFIDENT STEPS

The centrality of the search for new wealth sources allowed, in recent decades, to comprehend two phenomena that are vital to the development of nations, in the modern paradigm of access to material goods, comfort and quality of life.

They are the indispensable value of scientific knowledge and the unavoidable driving force of its transfer to the economy.

The first already held a godly status: Science – the access, subjected to initiation secrecy, property of elites. However, awareness to the need of its popular and generalised appropriation is a recent concept, historically speaking. This view was named technology transfer, maybe to not seem the exact same thing, maybe because it is important to have a name, as names make things exist.

However, science and transfer are like two bricks of the same wall, two pillars of the same arch, two segments of the same process, and two steps of the same escalator.

The initiative of promoting CoLabs (Collaborative Laboratories) intends to reinforce the weakest pillar: Portuguese academia still struggles to transfer to companies its already excellent production of knowledge. We can only support this intention.

However, academia is not equal all across the board. For decades, INESC TEC has been cultivating an integrated model and vision and producing a noteworthy impact on the development of various economic sectors. Today, it is fairly seen as an example of something well done.

We should not copy examples, but we should certainly learn from them. One of the life lessons INESC TEC can offer is that of doing things gradually, in a consolidated way, and measuring risks – however, without ever renouncing audacity and ambition.

Because, in this transfer phenomenon, there is also a need for solid learning by the agents of the academy, which developed under a different context, with other patterns – one of which, addicting, is thinking as a public body and craving for funding. If we interpreted them correctly, CoLabs are meant as something else: risk, the business way.

Therefore, INESC TEC follows this initiative with interest, supports the motivation and will certainly participate in all the investments proved worthy by the robustness of the project, the market study, the business plan, and the risk assessment. As always, INESC TEC will not take refuge in lukewarmness.

Nevertheless, let us not belittle the need for time, to breathe and to give rise to the required learnings – even though, if nothing is done, it is also true that no one will learn.