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How does scientific knowledge end up with entrepreneurs?
Scientific institutes such as Wageningen University & Research (WUR) develop a lot of knowledge that the practice helps. But how does that knowledge come to the entrepreneurs? The Business Unit Greenhouse Horticulture and FlowerBulbs of WUR did a pilot with a Masterclass: Future Proof Toolbox. Bulb growers were updated by researchers about developments within four themes and were given a practical workshop on making business models. Goal: the entrepreneurs help their company to be 'Future Proof'.
The Masterclass Future Proof Toolbox would take place live, but was digitally due to the corona measures. The WUR researchers provided the different meetings, which successively went on soil, precision farm, robust varieties and vital cultivation systems. In addition, attention was paid to working with the 'business model canvas' during the meetings, the method for analyzing and developing earning models. The aim was to not only give the Entrepreneurs theoretical knowledge, but they also help to translate that knowledge into practice or a business model.
Translating knowledge into practice needed
The pilot with the Masterclass yielded many good insights. For example, the participating companies - bulb growers - turned out to be well aware of scientific knowledge which is available. That is because they often actively look for that knowledge, for example if a cultivation problem occurs. At the same time, scientific knowledge is not always applicable for practice: that knowledge must be translated, for example by other companies to new products or applications.
The pilot therefore teaches that bringing together science and practice is not always an issue of only knowledge exchange between researchers and entrepreneurs. An extra step is often required, for example the translation of scientific knowledge or making an inventory of which practical knowledge entrepreneurs are really looking for.