Enterprise for Life Scientists: Developing Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Biosciences

Enterprise for Life Scientists is a new text designed to develop entrepreneurial skills in the life science community. Universities and governments are keen for academics to commercialise their ideas, but good advice on how to do so can be hard to find. Undergraduates and postgraduates are increasingly being encouraged to develop their commercial skills but, unlike other academic subjects, no textbook exists to support this.
Enterprise for Life Scientists uniquely fills both gaps; it covers the key issues for academic commercialisation, including IP protection, business planning, funding, and spin-out companies, in a very accessible format with frequent examples drawn from real-life case studies. The book is a 'must-have' for any life science academic thinking about harnessing the commercial potential of their academic work, as well as providing a superb text on which to base courses on enterprise in the undergraduate curriculum.

Reviews:
Enterprise for Life Scientists is a very informative publication, covering the processes, considerations and skills that are integral to the development of effective strategies for the exploitation of novel ideas generated through biological research. This much needed guide is presented in a highly accessible format and makes good use of real-life case studies to illustrate key points and processes. The style, content and use of features, such as the summary sections at the end of each chapter to reinforce core messages, make this a valuable teaching aid for undergraduate students, postgraduate researchers and trainers alike.
To summarise, Enterprise for Life Scientists is a timely publication which provides biologists, from undergraduate to researcher, with a comprehensive guide to knowledge transfer and the commercialisation process. The accessible format and language make this an excellent tool to support enterprise learning.
Sarah Wilbourn, University of Durham